


Solatium

by sinemoras09



Series: Birdsong [6]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Anxiety, Crying During Sex, Depression, Drawer Fic, F/M, Fan Comics, Female Senju Hashirama, Ficlet Collection, Fluff and Smut, Happy Sex, Hurt/Comfort, Porn with Feelings, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Slice of Life, Suicidal Ideation, Wish Fulfillment
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-16
Updated: 2020-07-16
Packaged: 2021-03-04 02:40:04
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 90
Words: 42,457
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24756424
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sinemoras09/pseuds/sinemoras09
Summary: Sequel toCrash Pad. Obito adjusts to life as the new Hokage while starting a new relationship with Rin. Obito/Rin. Post-canon. Slice of life. AU.Birdsonguniverse. Explicit content marked. Complete.Note: Two bonus fanart chapters at the end of the fic :)
Relationships: Nohara Rin/Uchiha Obito, Uchiha Madara & Uchiha Obito
Series: Birdsong [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1653751
Comments: 108
Kudos: 47





	1. Team Minato

**Author's Note:**

> 6/16/20: So I just finished this [massive crack fic](https://archiveofourown.org/works/24522358/chapters/59204281) where Hashi brings Madara and a handful of other people back to life after the events of the Fourth Shinobi War. In that fic, Madara convinces everyone to make Obito Hokage, and Hashi goes and resurrects Rin. That fic started to get unwieldy and was no longer focusing on Hashi and Madara, so I decided to continue the story separately here. Suffice it to say, this fic won't make any sense without reading the first :)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Non-explicit PIV sex

"This is a really stupid movie," Rin says.

She's sitting next to Obito wearing nothing but an oversized T-shirt, leaning against his arm with her bare legs tucked beneath her. "The plot doesn't even make sense. Why would she need to leave the city anyway? And what's with this lumberjack? And why are they making the fiancé the bad guy just because he's too busy with work?"

"It's so the viewers will root for the lumberjack," Obito says. Rin frowns against his shoulder.

They're watching that stupid rom com again. Obito had been so irritated the first time he saw it, he wanted Rin's opinion on it, too. "Why even have her in a relationship? Why can't she just be single and meet the lumberjack later?"

"Dramatic tension, I guess." Rin's eyes are dull. She's not impressed. Her cheek flattens against Obito's arm.

They have sex in the dark of their bedroom, Rin gasping softly while Obito moves. He's doing that thing Rin likes, sliding upwards in a hook-like motion, rubbing at her G-spot to make her sigh and strain against him.

"You know, I used to imagine this," Obito says. They're lying in bed, Rin curled up against Obito's chest, Obito gently stroking her hair. "After making the new world. We'd be reunited and you'd lie on my chest, just like this."

Rin smiles, hugging him. She feels him rest his hand on her head.

"I just...I wish I could bring back all the people I've killed."

"Obito?" Rin shifts to look at him. She fans her thumb across his cheek.

"They died for nothing. It was one thing if I could bring them back - bring them into a peaceful world. But that didn't happen." He rests his arm across her back. "It was all a lie from the beginning."

"You were both manipulated by Kaguya," Rin says. Obito shakes his head.

"I'm still the one who killed them."

Rin falls silent. She feels the rise and fall of Obito's chest, his heart beating beneath her cheek. He shifts her close and she hugs him, nuzzling against him.

"Why do you love me, Rin?"

Rin shifts. Their faces are close as she rests her head on her pillow to look at him. "I don't know," Rin says. She strokes the side of his face. "Why do you love me?"

He smiles. "You were the only one who was nice to me."

"Oh?"

She cuddles against him and he hugs her close. "Even when I got beat up by Bakakashi."

Rin giggles. She presses a soft kiss against his neck. He's smiling, but he remembers the things he's done, and his smile fades.

Rin shifts. "What are you thinking?" she asks. Obito shakes his head.

"You said you saw everything. And yet, you're still with me."

Rin sighs and drapes an arm around him. "They trained us to kill," Rin says. "Even if we just became normal shinobi. It's not ideal, but I don't see how what you did was any different."

"Maybe just the scale," Obito says, softly. Rin gives him a sad smile and strokes his face.

*****

Obito balks a bit as Shizune drops a stack of papers onto his desk. The stack is heavy, and Obito swears the desk rocks a bit with its weight. "This much?" Obito says. He picks at the papers.

Shizune nods. "Tsunade-sama was back-logged even before the war started."

Obito frowns and shuffles the papers.

"I don't get it," Kakashi says. He's leaning against the door frame while Obito frowns over his stack of paperwork on the desk. "The Hokage is supposed to be the strongest shinobi in the village, how is it useful to pull them out of rotation and sequester them behind a desk?" Kakashi glances at Obito's paperwork. "What are you working on, anyway?"

"Um." Obito looks at the grant proposal he has to finish reading, the fifty-page report he has to skim, and all the papers that are stamped with "immediate attention," and "action needed," and he doesn't even think about the number of emails he still has to look over. "Is it bad that I don't even know?"

"You're kidding."

"I'm too stupid to handle this." Obito drops his head in his hands. "Bakakashi. Why did you talk me into this?"

"I told you. I never wanted to be Hokage, that was all you."

There's a knocking at the door. Kakashi turns and Obito's face brightens.

"Rin."

"Hello." Rin pokes her head into the office. "Settling in?"

Obito gestures helplessly at the stack of papers in front of the desk. Rin steps over to look at them. "Am I allowed to look at this?" Rin asks. Obito spreads his hands.

"I've already been showing this to Kakashi."

"Hm." Rin paws through the papers. Her eyes snap into half moons: "Boy, I'm sure glad I don't have to deal with this!"

Obito bangs his head on the desk. Kakashi chuckles.

They grab lunch at the barbecue place next door. The meat on the grill sizzles as Kakashi lays another piece down with his chopsticks.

"You guys are getting married?" Kakashi says. Obito beams happily while Rin bumps against his shoulder. Kakashi raises his eyebrows. "Moving a bit fast, aren't we?"

Obito scowls, blushing. "Not that fast." Rin giggles. Kakashi waves his hand.

"I'm just joking," Kakashi says. He lays down another piece of meat. "I'm glad you two are happy."

"You hear that?" Rin says. She rubs Obito's arm. Obito smiles at her shyly.

Someone walks toward their booth, standing next to them. The three of them brighten. "Sensei!"

Minato smiles. "Yo."

Kakashi scoots to the side, making room for him.

"So. How's Hokage life treating you?" Minato says. It's his turn to grill the meat now, setting more raw pieces onto the grill while the others eat with their chopsticks. Obito rubs his neck.

"It's harder than I thought it'd be," Obito says. "There's so many committees. Half the time I don't know what they're saying."

"You'll get used to it, once you start getting detailed briefings." Minato smiles.

"Sensei." Kakashi plucks down a piece of meat. "Obito and Rin are getting married."

"Really? That's great!" Minato says. Rin beams and Obito ducks his head. "Do you two have a date?"

"Not really, he just asked," Rin says. Obito blushes, smiling. She rubs his back fondly.

"Hmm," Minato leans back, crossing his arms and looking up at the ceiling, "You'd better figure it out. You have to build stuff like that into your calendar so they won't schedule any important meetings. Obito?" Minato says, but Obito's shoulders are hunched. A shadow falls over Obito's eyes.

"Sensei. I know I already apologized, but--"

"Don't even mention it," Minato says. He claps Obito's arm. "You did good, Obito. You deserve to be Hokage. We're all really proud."

The meat sizzles. Kakashi frowns. "Oi. You're freaking old now, how is it that you're still crying?"

"Quiet." Obito wipes his eyes. Rin smiles and hugs him.

They walk back. Obito returns to the office to see not one, but two stacks of paperwork sitting on his desk. Kakashi smirks while Rin starts to laugh, leaning against Obito's arm.


	2. Killjoy

"Not to be a killjoy, but this whole relationship is a bit lopsided, don't you think?" Kakashi says.

Obito frowns at him. "What do you mean?" Obito says. Kakashi spreads his hands.

"I mean, Rin's had twenty years to get to know you. How much do you know about her?"

"She's the same Rin we've always known, I don't understand what you're saying," Obito says. Kakashi sighs heavily.

"Are any of us still the same as when we were kids?"

"You're still a pain in the ass, so I'd say so."

Kakashi rubs his head. "I'm just trying to help," Kakashi says. "Rin's spent twenty years stuck following you, not being able to do anything for herself. Maybe instead of smothering her with all that new relationship energy, you give her a little space to find herself."

Obito's brow furrows. "Kakashi....did Rin ask you to tell me this?"

"Of course not. But it doesn't take a genius to see that you put her on a pedestal, if she doesn't live up to your expectations you're really gonna hurt her."

*****

"Rin?"

"Yeah?"

"...am I smothering you?"

"Eh?" Rin says, and Obito presses his fingertips together, anxiously.

"Kakashi was saying...well, he was explaining, that you spent the last twenty years stuck following me, that maybe now that you're alive, there's something else you'd want to do." Obito hesitates. "It's not right that you're stuck in this apartment. If you want to go somewhere or do something else, I don't want to stop you."

Rin giggles at him. "What?" Obito says. His feelings are clearly hurt. Rin laughs and tugs him by the arm.

"I want to stay with you," Rin says. She shakes him by the elbow. "So I've missed some stuff the last couple decades. Maybe you can show me."

"I'm afraid I have as much experience with the outside world as you do."

"Well then we'll have to learn together," Rin says, smiling.


	3. Comparison

"I do not understand," Madara says. "You maintained order over other S-class missing nin, manipulated entire countries from the shadows to achieve your own ends. You became a kage-level threat, possessing the rarest of all Mangekyou abilities, the Kamui, which has no precedent. You are exceptional at cutting your losses and nimbly adapting your plans as the situation demands. You even wrested control from _me_ and became the Ten Tails Jinchuuriki, however briefly, and yet," Madara says, and his eyes track over to the mounds of paperwork sitting on his desk, "you are telling me you cannot handle a few assignments for lower-tier nin?"

Obito glares. "I didn't ask you to come here."

"Well naturally, I was curious to see how my errant pupil has fared." Madara picks up a stack of reports, then tosses it back on the desk. Obito smirks.

"Don't tell me," Obito says, and he smiles, meanly. "You are following me because you yourself are powerless."

"Oho? What's this? A poor attempt to insult me?" Madara sniffs. "I could raze this entire village in the blink of an eye if I wanted. Do not tempt me."

("Um, Hashi-san, are they always like this?" Rin asks. Hashi shakes her head.

"They're both friggin' idiots.")


	4. Ageism

"Obito?"

"Yes, Rin?"

"How old are we, now?" Rin knows it's been about twenty years but the timing is a bit fuzzy for her.

"I'm 35 now, so I think you're 34? I guess you'll be turning 35 in November."

Rin coughs. "We're that old?!"

"I mean, you look like you're in your twenties," Obito says.

"You turned 35 in February, right?" Rin thinks back. Obito was the oldest in their group while Rin was the youngest. She counts on her fingers. "You were born February 10th, Kakashi September 15th - so Kakashi and I are both 34?"

"I think so."

"Wow." Rin leans back. "I don't feel old. Don't get me wrong, I don't feel like a teenager," Rin says, when she sees the look of horror on Obito's face, "It's just weird to think I spent my twenties as a ghost."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> At this point in the story, Madara has a 5-year-old daughter who was conceived shortly after the events of the Fourth Shinobi war; Obito was listed to be around 30-31 then, which is why he's 35 now :)
> 
> Just wanna make it super clear that Rin is a grown-ass woman lol <3


	5. Sex (explicit)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Explicit PIV sex, minor discomfort with penetration that improves

There is a watery square of moonlight coming from the window above the bed, tracing Obito's silhouette as he climbs over her. Rin cranes her head a little from the mattress, reaching down to guide him and position him between her legs. She feels the blunt head of his cock pushing into the wet seam of her body, the lips of her labia stretching around him. "Okay," Rin says, giving him permission, and Obito gasps and slides all the way in.

Rin winces a little, and Obito stops, waits for her to relax. Sex is new for both of them, so it still takes a moment for her to accommodate him.

She feels herself soften, and she nods against his shoulder, giving him permission. One cautious slide out, then a hard slide in, and Rin gasps and jerks, the sudden jolt of pleasure surprising her. They breathe softly as he pumps into her with a steady rhythm, when suddenly he kisses her deeply, breathing hard through his nose as he grips his arms around her.

He gasps, then stutters, pulsing hard and sagging against her. Rin is close, just at the very edge, so all it takes is for her to slip her hand between their bodies and rub the pad of her finger against the small bud of her clit, once, twice, until she's gasping and jerking hard beneath him. She feels his cock throb a few more times again in response.

He lets out a happy sound, and she reaches up to kiss him, smiling against his mouth.

"Obito?"

"Yeah?"

They're lying sated in bed, after they got up to clean themselves. She touches the vertical seam running down along his body, the sickly white cloned flesh fused against warm living skin. "Does this hurt at all?"

"Sometimes." He shifts her close. "Not right now, though."

"What about here?" She touches the scars on his face. He nuzzles against her hand.

"No. That feels nice."

"Does it?"

He looks at her with soft eyes and Rin smiles. She leans forward and kisses him, smiling against his mouth.

She settles warmly against his chest. Obito pulls up the blankets up by her shoulders, then curls his body around hers. Rin smiles a bit, stroking Obito's head as he falls asleep first.


	6. Sex, part 2 (explicit)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fellatio, cunnilingus

His skin is just so sensitive. Rin leans on her side, letting her hand splay out across his chest. Just the sensation of her touching him is enough to make him thicken and harden, much to his embarrassment.

"Why are you embarrassed?" Rin asks. She drops a soft kiss against his chest, then reaches down to touch him. He's not entirely hard yet, but she wraps her palm around him and rubs him through the fabric. "I like this."

Obito sighs, his hips pushing up into her hand, his voice growing tight and needy. "It's hard to think when you're touching me like this," he says.

"Really?" She presses a soft kiss against his clavicle, then lowers herself over his chest, rubbing her mouth over lean muscle and warm, pale skin. She brushes her lips softly against a sensitive spot on his chest, right where the junction between Hashirama's cells and his skin begins, and she's rewarded by a soft moan and a slow rise of his hips, which Rin takes as a cue to move lower, dragging her mouth over the sensitive skin of his abdomen. There is a sparse trail of pale hair just beneath his navel, which Rin follows with the pads of her fingertips. Obito sighs softly as she slips her hand into his pants, the tip of his penis poking out from the waistband. She tugs down his pants and sees his penis is stiff and leaking, pointing upward towards his abdomen.

She takes him into her mouth. Obito gasps harshly, before reaching a shaky hand to rest on the back of her head. The head of his cock is thick and smooth, and she runs her tongue along the underside of his glans, slurping wetly and swiping her tongue flat against his length. She knows it feels good; she hears him let out a shuddery breath, and she sees the skin of his penis reddening, a pearly bead of slippery liquid leaking out of the tip. In the background she can hear him breathing heavily, the muscles of his flank and stomach tightening. She sucks and runs her tongue over the meatus, the slick of pre-cum building there, before bobbing her head again. 

He gasps and his cock grows thick and heavy, the head of his penis red and swollen, glistening with her saliva. Another bob, and he lets out a strangled sound, penis twitching and another swipe of slippery liquid leaking from him. He sighs and she feels him twitch again, his hips shifting a fraction, his muscles straining. His face is pleasured and red, and probably because he can't help it, his hips start rocking a little; he breathes raggedly, shaking with the effort not to grasp her head and start thrusting into her mouth.

"Rin." His voice is taut. Breathy. "Rin, I'm..."

He gasps and his penis pulses suddenly, the head of his erection twitching hard against her tongue. Rin stills and swallows, feeling his hand tangling into her hair.

A moment passes, and she rises, smiling and wiping the corner of her mouth. Obito beams at her and pulls her down against him, hugging her tight against his chest. They kiss. It feels nice and he nuzzles against her neck.

His turn, now. Wordlessly, he rears back on his haunches, pulling off her panties and tossing them to the side, before leaning forward, pushing up her T-shirt and resting between her legs. Hooking his arms around her thighs, he presses his hot mouth flush against her clit, making Rin gasp and push her hips up against his mouth.

He kisses her there the way he'd kiss her mouth, his tongue laving her softly before sucking the swollen bud between his lips, making her quiver at the sensation. He tongues her with soft, warm strokes, pausing to suck intermittently before dipping his fingers inside her.

Rin gasps. She moves her head from side to side, arching her pelvis, needy and trying to get more of that sensation. A few soft strokes, then one harsh suck, and Rin cries out and pitches forward, jerking hard in a staccato burst of pleasure, before she falls back on the mattress, breathing hard and catching her breath.

Obito smiles, then gently pulls down her shirt, covering her body, before crawling back up to hug her.


	7. Sleep (explicit)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> PIV sex, cunnilingus

When they sleep, he hugs her the way he used to hug a pillow at night, his body cupped against hers and his knees fitting against the backs of her legs. He lets out a sigh, a happy little sound, and Rin pulls his hand up to brush her lips against the skin of his knuckles.

His body is fascinating to her. Lying on his chest, Rin carefully examines him, turning over his body the way a child would examine a new toy. There is an odd amalgamation of skin and grafted parts, pale, almost translucent patches abutting warm unblemished skin. Hashirama's cells are pale and etiolated like the film of a runny egg, and Rin can trace the fine blue-green network of veins and tendons beneath his skin.

But it's more than that. The strangeness of the artificial limb, the place where it oozed and bled white fluid, foreign and alien, doesn't pique her interest: instead she concentrates on the lean muscle of his chest and stomach, tracing the broadness of his shoulders and the crests of his hipbones and ribs.

"You got strong," Rin says. She slides her palm across his stomach, wonderingly. "Is this all because of Madara's training?"

"He'd like to think so." Obito plucks her hand from his abdomen and laces his fingers around hers. He rests his head on the pillow and Rin smiles at him. Carefully, she tilts her head upwards and kisses him softly on the mouth.

They lie in bed, kissing and holding each other, until she softens and he's hard again. It feels good when he slips inside her, moving with tight, purposeful thrusts, their bodies pressed tight as she gasps at the sensation. She hears him breathe her name with each forward thrust. 

He gasps and pulses, hugging her close and breathing raggedly against her neck. It feels good to hug and kiss him, holding him while he pulses inside her.

He catches his breath, his body resting heavily on top of hers, as Rin smiles and lets her hand drop fondly on top of his head. It's a comfortable weight, and idly she wonders if he could fall asleep like this, soft but still inside her body. 

She doesn't wonder long; wordlessly he pushes himself up on his forearms, then moves to finish her with his mouth.

Her body jerks and Rin laughs softly, arching and tensing with each suck and soft lick, but then the sensation builds and her soft giggles turn into soft, little moans. She feels his tongue softly stroking her nub, pausing every few moments to suckle at the sensitive flesh before her body snaps forward and she orgasms hard, pitching forward and contracting and gasping. She falls back, heaving, and Obito crawls back on top of her, kissing her generously on the mouth. There's a cool, bitter taste on his tongue and lips, and Rin pulls back, wrinkling her nose. "Is that me?"

Obito ducks his head and laughs softly.

They get up to clean themselves, before climbing back into bed. Obito lifts the sheets and Rin nestles against him.

"Obito?"

"Yeah?"

"Did you ever imagine that we'd do this?" She turns her head on the pillow, facing him. He smiles and shakes his head.

"Never," he says, and she smiles and hugs him, pressing her lips against his chest.

"What did you think would happen? If the Moon's Eye Plan worked and you brought me back to life?"

"Let's see..." Obito rests his hand on her head as he considers. "You'd get married. You'd have a family and children and you'd be happy."

"And you?"

"I wouldn't be alive at this point. I'd have given my life to resurrect you."

"But what if Nagato didn't betray you?" Rin says. "What if he resurrected Madara like he was supposed to, and the Moon's Eye was like Izanagi, making a real world instead of that tree?"

"You mean what if I were right?" Obito smiles sadly. "I still wouldn't be alive. I'd still have to give up my life to resurrect you."

"So in every instance, your plan was to die?"

"It would just depend on how." He shifts her to his chest. "If Nagato didn't betray me, he'd die resurrecting Madara, and I'd die resurrecting you. After he died for Konoha, my only option was to become the jinchuuriki myself. Usher in the new world before I could resurrect you. I'd try resurrecting everyone, of course," Obito says, hitching her closer. "That was always part of the plan. All the people I killed, I'd bring them back to life. It didn't matter if I died."

"It matters to me," Rin says softly. Obito smiles at her.

They kiss. It's warm and soft and she feels him pressing comfortably against her.

"I don't deserve you, Rin." His voice is soft. She feels his hands tangle in her hair. "I shouldn't be happy, but I am."

Rin hugs him.


	8. Kamui

"This is your Kamui?" Rin looks around the inky darkness, at the stark geometric shapes scattered throughout the vast landscape. There is no visible light source. Her eyes adjust to the darkness, pupils blown, taking in what little illumination is available. She has the vague feeling of walking through a darkened woods in the middle of the night, of how the trees loom tall and wide, stretching toward infinite shadows. In the distance, Rin can make out the shape of a giant shuriken; scattered kunai and what looks like a chained weapon lying on the ground.

Obito picks up the chained sickle, thoughtfully. "I keep them here for easy access," Obito explains, and Rin can imagine it, how in the midst of battle he'd teleport and reappear as if in an instant, wielding weapons and chains without having to summon them.

She rubs her arms, looking around. "This reminds me of the place I died," Rin says. She looks at the polished crystal surfaces, the looming shapes that jut out like mountain ranges. "Obito. This reminds me of Kirigakure."

"It does?"

Rin nods, pressing her palm flat against the wall of a giant cube. "Even the layout is familiar. I'll never forget it. This path here," and she traces her steps, remembering, "opened up to a clearing, here," and they walk to an area of vast, empty space, the cubes and geometric shapes widening to a flat, smooth surface. "Obito. I think you recreated the place I died."

Obito blinks. "I was heading toward you," he says, and he remembers vaulting though the trees, ensconced within the Spiral Zetsu and desperate to find her, images of Rin coming through his eye in square patches of black and white. Obito's eyes widen.

"Rin I think you're right."

"Really?" Rin turns. Obito cranes his neck upwards, remembering.

"I was seeing the things Kakashi was seeing." He taps the side of his head, remembering. "The images came in like squares. Everything was black and white and hazy. And then...and then I saw him kill you."

Rin sucks in her breath. Obito looks back at her, and instinctively she leans against him. His fingers touch hers. "I never realized this time-space was a manifestation of your death."

"Can we leave?" Rin says, and Obito nods shortly, taking her hand as the Kamui swirls around them.

They end up back in their bedroom. There is always a moment of disorientation for her, a swirling darkness and cold, before materialization, and it takes a moment for her to get her bearings. Obito sits heavily on the bed and Rin has to anchor herself a moment before sitting next to him. Wordlessly he drops his head against her shoulder.


	9. Crybaby Ninja

The crying thing is embarrassing.

Here's the thing: Obito's eyes water even if he's relatively okay. It's always been this way, which is why he took to wearing goggles as a kid and probably one of the reasons why it took him so long to awaken the Sharingan.

("Maybe you're just sensitive?" Rin said, when they were both kids and Obito was crying again because of something Kakashi did.)

He's at his desk, staring at a stack of memos, when inexplicably a warm pressure rises behind his eyes, before they start tearing. Scowling, he quickly wipes his eyes and tries to concentrate, but a tear drips, and then another, making a dot of wetness on the documents in front of him.

Dammit. This is one of the reasons why he always wore a fucking mask. He scowls and wipes his eyes with the back of his hand, then picks up the stack of papers, tapping them on the desk to straighten them. The tears keep coming though, and he glares and squeezes his eyes, pressing the heel of his hand to his eye.

"Obito?" Rin pokes her head in the office. "Everything okay?"

"Oh..." Obito wipes his eyes quickly, sniffing. She smiles, walking up to the desk.

"I thought you might be hungry," she says, and she holds up a paper bag. "They were selling sandwiches at the medical school outside, I thought I'd get you one."

"Oh, thank-" he clears his throat. "Thank you."

Rin smiles at him again, and Obito feels his face burning. And of course because he's embarrassed his eyes water even more.

Rin starts, "You know--"

Obito looks up. Rin smiles apologetically. "You, um. Tend to get like that when you're tired," Rin says. She gestures gently to her eyes. "You should take a break and eat something."

"Thank you. I will."

Rin motions with her thumb. "I gotta get back," Rin says. She smiles at him. "I'll see you at home?"

"Yeah."

She leans in for a quick kiss, fluffing his hair.


	10. Healing

They're cooking dinner, Rin standing over the stove while Obito is cutting vegetables, when the knife slips and he cuts his finger.

"Oh geez, let me see," Rin says, but as soon as she walks over the wound has already closed.

"Oh." Obito rubs his neck. "It's Hashi-san's cells."

"Really?" Rin picks up his hand, turning it over. She smooths her hand over the cut, which has already sealed into a thin pink scar. "Wow, that's great. So you don't need me to heal you."

"I...Oh." Obito seems disappointed. Rin laughs.

"You're not seriously disappointed, are you?"

"I liked it when you healed me. It felt nice."

"You liked it because that was the only time I'd be touching you. We touch all the time." She loops her arm around his waist, squeezing him fondly. He smiles.


	11. Healing, part 2

For all his gravitas, his ocular prowess and his skills as a shinobi, in his day-to-day life, Obito is still rather clumsy.

He has reasons: his artificial hand is slightly numb, so he'll sometimes drop things if he's using his right hand. He walks with a just barely noticeable limp courtesy of the rocks that crushed his pelvis. He's too used to using his kamui, so he bumps into things, misjudges a corner and bumps his shoulder into the wall. And whatever sprained ankles, scraped knees, or bruised elbows he'd get, they'd just get negated by his healing ability, so he has no reason to be careful.

Sometimes, his body starts to give out on him. After the end of a grueling mission, he'll muster up enough chakra just to kamui back to his apartment and drop heavily onto the couch. He'll get shooting pains from the old crush injuries in his face and limbs, the places where Hashirama's cells were grafted on.

As Hokage, he doesn't go on missions anymore, but his body still reacts as if he does - sitting too long hurts his legs and back; writing worsens the numbness in his artificial hand. He'll get shooting tingling pains in his wrists and elbows.

Compression helps. The cat suit - the black turtleneck and pants he wore as Tobi - supports his screaming nerves, keeps his feet from going numb when he's standing.

"Eh? Your back is hurting?" Rin is shocked when Obito tells her the extent of the pain he endures every day, because he's so good at hiding it. She's noticed the limp and the vague way he fumbles things with his right hand, but she had no idea about the neuropathic pains that shoot up and down his limbs, the tingling in his face and the deep-seated ache in his bones when it's about to rain. She pulls off his shirt, steers him toward the bed, and begins plying chakra on all the places that hurt. The seam down the front and back of his torso. The tender spot on his hip. She curls her small fingers around his wrists and smooths out the bumps of his chakra there, relieving the swelling that's compressing his nerves.

He's keeping his eyes focused on the floor, and it's only after a moment that Rin realizes Obito is blushing. She's suddenly reminded of their genin days, and she bumps his shoulder and laughs.

Obito blinks. "Rin?"

"Nothing." She shakes her head and presses a kiss against his shoulder.


	12. Healing, part 3 (mature)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> mentions of non-explicit PIV sex

Sometimes, when she's healing him, he'll get embarrasingly aroused.

Rin always notices. "You want me to take care of that?" she'd ask, as if she's asking about a cut on his leg or scraped knuckles, and before he'd answer she'd lean forward and kiss him generously on the mouth.

When they were genin, he used to fantasize about this. That she would be touching him, one small hand on the crook of his elbow, the other pressed softly against his chest, when she'd lean forward and kiss him, stroking her hand up and down his torso and curling around his waist. He used to masturbate furiously thinking about that, about how she'd kiss his throat or gently touch him, so whenever she would heal him on the training fields he'd sit there with a red-faced, embarrassed look, ears bright red and trying vainly to hide the stiffness tenting his pants. Obito had always assumed he was successful until one day Rin asks, "When I healed you back when we were genin, did you used to get hard?"

"What?" Obito's head snaps up. Rin giggles.

"I'm sorry, it's just something I've wondered, I thought I'd ask."

Obito's eyes turn red. "Sometimes."

"Really?"

"This is so embarrassing," Obito says. Rin wraps her arms around him.

"Why? It's cute," Rin says. She shakes him playfully.

They have sex in the bedroom, and it's warm and good and as he's cuddling her, she nuzzles into his neck and tells him she likes it when he gets awkward and embarrassed, it's like he's the old him again. Obito rests his head on the pillow, his eyes searching hers.

"Rin?"

"Yeah?"

"If those rocks didn't cave in....do you think we could have....?"

"Eventually," Rin says. She smiles shyly at him. "It might have taken me a bit to figure it out. But I think I've always loved you."

He beams at that. She snuggles against him.

"At the very least, I felt sorry for you."

"Pity is a motivating force," Obito says. Rin laughs and bumps her nose into his neck. He smiles and shifts her closer.


	13. Résumé

She's been out of rotation for twenty years, her skills as a ninja are rusty. "Maybe you can work with the civilians?" Obito says.

Rin frowns, looking at her papers. She had applied to work as a hospital nin but she had no relevant experience. "How am I supposed to explain the twenty-year gap? 'Actually, I've been dead for twenty years'? No one's going to believe that."

Rin puts her head in her hands, frowning. "Today was so demoralizing. I had a teenager explain to me how to ply chakra. Like, I've been plying chakra from beyond the grave, I don't need the technique explained to me."

Obito rubs her back sympathetically. Rin plops her head onto his lap, groaning.

"Everyone thinks I'm incompetent," Rin says.

"You're not, though," Obito says.

"Well would you assign me on missions? That's your job now as Hokage."

Obito hesitates. Rin sighs loudly. "Don't answer that," Rin says.

"Sorry," Obito says. Rin groans.

"I think I understand now how you felt when we were kids," Rin says. She looks up at him. "No offense," she says. Obito pats her head.


	14. Memories

She remembers things in fragments: long, dark hallways, Obito's footsteps as he goes further and further into the shadows. Tapered fingers touching the curved surface of an orange mask.

She screamed at him when he attacked their Sensei. "Obito! Stop this! What are you doing?!" But from behind the mask he was acting as Madara. She watched in horror as he hefted Kushina's body upwards, chaining her arms and getting ready to rip the bijou out from her.

Horror-struck, she followed him.

The slim blade of a sword drove through another Uchiha's chest, Obito driving the katana forward. Behind him, Itachi was making quick use of his Amaterasu, while Obito used his Kumai to rip, tear, snap the others like paper dolls. It was like the day she died all over again, and Rin's eyes were wide as she followed them, blood spattering on her face with each fresh kill.

She hovered over his shoulder as he stood alone at the edge of a rocky cliff face, the entire shinobi army cowering in fear over him. He dressed as Madara dressed, held the battle fan firmly in his hand.

Some nights, she tried to talk to him. Sometimes, if he was on the edge of sleep, he could hear her calling to him. "Obito," she'd say, and she'd kneel in the darkness by the bed beside him. And in the nonsense patois of half-sleep, he would murmur her name.


	15. Memories, part 2

He sat on the edge of the bed and took off his mask. His eyes were watery, and Obito took a shuddery breath.

Rin watched. The room was dark except for the sliver of moonlight that filtered through the shadows. Quietly he wiped his eyes and turned over his mask in his hands.

She didn't know what he was thinking. Obito often got this way, silent and brooding, and he'd stare out at nothing for hours, probably thinking. She wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him, her body melding invisible into the places where she didn't quite fit. He couldn't feel her. Quietly she transferred her chakra to his, hoped it would be enough to comfort him.

The door to his bedroom opened. "Madara-sama." It was Konan. "The preparations are complete."

Obito sighed, then straightened, holding up his mask. He kept his back toward her. "Excellent," he said, in Madara's voice. "I will be there shortly."

Konan gave him a small bow, before closing the door again.

Obito stood. Looking up at the ceiling, he closed his eyes and slowly exhaled.


	16. Dishes

"You don't have to do that," Obito says, as he sees Rin filling up a laundry basket with clothes from the dryer.

Rin closes the door with an authoritative click. "I don't mind," she says. She dusts her hands off, rising. "You were running out of clothes anyway." She walks with the basket against her hip before dumping the clothes in the center of the livingroom; they sit on the floor and start folding clothes.

*****

The chores are equitable. Obito is surprisingly clean, something Rin would never have thought of him when they were kids, but something she's seen firsthand when she used to follow him. She notices that the dirty dishes never sit more than a few minutes in the sink, Obito automatically just washing whatever it was he was using as soon as he's finished with it, and his apartment is spare, with few pieces of furniture, devoid of any of the normal clutter and detritus of people living inside it.

"I should learn how to cook," Obito says ruefully, as Rin shrieks and burns a batch of frozen dumplings on the stove.

Rin coughs and waves a kitchen towel over the smoke. "Sorry. I guess I'm not a very good cook."

"No, no, I wasn't criticizing you, you were dead for twenty years, I have no excuse." The pan catches fire but Obito deftly throws a lid over it.

They go to the mini mart and buy bentos, because the pan is scorched and the apartment is still smoky from the grease fire. "You're actually getting real food," Rin says, smiling. Obito looks at her, surprised.

"Real food? What do you mean?" he asks. Rin grins at him.

"Usually you'd just grab a few snacks and a couple cans of beer."

Obito grins ruefully. "You really were watching me."

"Uh huh." She wraps her arms around his waist, grinning at him. "I used to lean up against you like this, and whisper in your ear, and tell you to get water or fruit," she says. Obito chuckles softly.

They get home and put away their things, Rin setting down the two bentos and snapping apart the wooden chopsticks that came in the bag. 

*****

"You don't eat that much," Rin says. They're sitting at the table, Rin munching on a riceball while Obito sits and watches her, a small smile on his face. He shakes his head, smiling.

"It's Hashi-san's cells. I don't have to eat or sleep as much as normal people do."

"You sleep next to me every night," Rin says. Obito ducks his head.

"Would it be creepy if I told you I was just watching you?"

"No," Rin says, smiling. She sets down her chopsticks. "That's what I did when I was watching you."

Obito's eyes widen. He blushes, surprised. "Really?"

"Yeah." Rin scoots next to him, rubbing his back. "I used to lay next to you. Sometimes if you were half-asleep, you could feel my chakra, and you'd roll against me."

"Really?" Obito seems surprised and happy.

*****

She's doing laundry again, and Obito rounds the corner to tell her it's okay, he can do it, when he sees her pick up one of his dirty shirts and balls it against her face, inhaling the fabric. Obito blinks, surprised.

"Rin?"

Rin looks up, startled. "Oh!" She hugs the shirt to her chest. "Sorry! I just...I wasn't sure if it was dirty..." Obito gives her a doubtful look, because he's used to reading the faces of his enemies, it's next to nothing to see through her lame excuse. "...I like the way it smells," Rin says. She hugs the shirt and turns away from him, blushing.

Obito blinks again. "You do?"

"Don't make fun of me!" Rin says. She spins on her heel, hugging the shirt. "I lost my sense of smell when I was a ghost, okay, all this stuff is new to me!"

Obito stares at her.

"What?" Rin says. She steps back, nervously. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"It's just..." Obito blinks. "It's just, of the two of us, I thought I'd be the one sniffing your dirty clothes and telling you I liked the way you smell."

"Oh, god..."

"No, it's good, it's....it's nice," Obito says. He beams at her. "I just assumed you're with me because of familiarity. I didn't think you'd actually be attracted to me."

"Eh?" Rin lowers her clothes. "Of course I'm attracted to you. You think I'm here just for your winning personality?"

"I don't know if that's a compliment or an insult," Obito says, frowning. Rin laughs and goes up to hug him.

"You're so stoic and brooding," Rin says. She fluffs his hair, fondly. "I miss the goofy loudmouth kid."

"I thought the goofy loudmouth kid was irritating?"

"That. And sweet. And endearing. But I will leave you if you put on that stupid Tobi personality."

"Noted," Obito says.


	17. Tutoring

"When an Uchiha awakens the Mangekyou, they have the potential to master many different abilities." Obito sits in the training field with Madara's five-year-old daughter, who's watching him, rapt. Her little eyes are wide, and it's the first time she's actually paying attention. Obito continues. "Susanoo. Amaterasu. Shunshin. These are all abilities you have access to; however, the ease with which you can perform them depends on your individual tomoe."

Obito opens his eyes. His Mangekyou is active, a triangular pinwheel. "Mine is conducive to the Kamui. Space-Time ninjutsu. It is the rarest of all Mangekyou powers, but it can still be mastered."

"Can I teleport too?" the little girl asks. Obito nods.

"For someone whose natural affinities don't align with it, it would take massive amounts of chakra and stamina. But your Mangekyou is made of pinwheels, like mine. So yes: with training, you can do it."

"Can my Daddy do it?" she's asking about Madara. Obito frowns.

"I don't think he is able to."

"Really?!" The little girl's eyes widen. She's never heard of anyone doing something her Daddy can't before. Obito smiles.

"Daddy!" the girl bounces at the table, while Hashi feeds her baby brothers. "Sensei says he can do a jutsu you can't do."

"I highly doubt that," Madara says. The little girl vibrates, excited.

"He said you can't do the Kamui, Daddy, but he's going to teach me to!"

"What?" Madara says. The toddler reaches for a glass of milk, but knocks it over.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know in canon people are just born with certain abilities, but for the purposes of this fic I'm headcanoning that they can be taught :)


	18. Studying

Rin is studying for her licensing exams, sitting by a desk next to the window.

Obito stops. Rin is silhouetted by the bright afternoon light like a portrait, a diagonal shaft of white sun illuminating the wall behind her. Obito watches as she reads her books, pausing to briefly write down some notes or jot down an illustration, and it's only when she lifts her pen to her mouth to tap it against her lips that she notices him.

"Obito?" Rin shifts to look at him, a piece of hair falling straight from behind her shoulder. "What is it?"

Her eyes flick upward, warm and brown, looking up at his.

It was never about resurrecting Rin. Everything he did, everything he scraped and bled for, was to create a brand new world for everyone, a better reality where everyone was happy and the rest of the world was at peace. Her resurrection would just be his quiet reward to himself, a small measure of peace knowing that she was alive and happy somewhere. That alone would make the guilt and sadness worth it.

"Obito?" Rin moves to meet his gaze. She smiles nervously. "You've been staring, what is it?"

Obito smiles and shakes his head. "Nothing," he says.

Rin smiles at him.


	19. Studying, part 2

"Ugh. Have there really been that many advances in the last twenty years? I thought at least we'd have the same foundation."

They're sitting on the floor at the table, Rin going through her notebook while Obito is sitting next to her, going through a stack of papers and prepping for an early morning meeting. "How much more do you need to do?" Rin says. Obito sighs.

"This whole stack," Obito says. He picks up a thick pile of papers. "There's a civilian village that has access to a certain metal ore, and we're trying to broker a trade agreement with them."

"What are we trading?" Rin asks. Obito shrugs.

"I don't know. Protection?" He shuffles his papers, then groans, dropping his head onto the table.

"This is terrible. Kakashi would be a better Hokage. I can't even see straight."

Rin pets his head sympathetically. "Didn't you used to lead the Akatsuki?"

"From the shadows. I didn't have to negotiate with anyone. If I needed something I'd just genjutsu them and take it."

Rin bites back a laugh. Obito sits forward. "How's the studying?"

"Also terrible," Rin says. She rubs his neck. "Wanna take a break?"

"I'd like to, but I can't."

"Boo." Rin gives him a quick kiss and stands. "I'm going to bed."

"Goodnight," Obito says. She goes into their bedroom.

Morning. Light streams in from the slats of the blinds, and Rin stretches, reaching a hand out to Obito's side of the bed. The sheets are cool and Rin sits up, frowning.

"Obito?" She walks out into the livingroom where Obito has passed out over his stack of papers, head in his arms and breathing deeply.

For some reason, Rin is reminded of the Akatsuki. Sometimes when Obito overexerted himself, reining in errant bijou or imposing his will on his subordinates, he'd pass out like this, head resting against the wall and his face half-covered by his mask. He always looked so vulnerable when he slept, so Rin would kneel and rest her torso on his back, protecting him.

She doesn't have to do that now, and gently she rests a hand on his shoulder. For a moment, she relishes the fact that her hand is solid, that he can feel her physically touching him.

And then she roughly shakes him awake, so he won't be late for his morning meeting.


	20. Privacy (explicit)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Descriptions of male masturbation

The room was dark, but even in the pitch black, Rin could make out the silhouette of the man hunched over the side of the bed. There was a rustling of fabric, steady and rhythmic, a slight hitch of his breath, and then the soft, furtive sounds of flesh beating over flesh.   
  
Rin stayed at the farthest corner of the room. For some reason, her consciousness was tethered to this bedroom, she couldn't float anywhere else, which was what she wished she could do so he could touch himself in private. Rin averted her eyes, kept her gaze trained on the shadows on the wall, but every so often she'd hear a tight gasp, the increasing heaviness of his breathing as he neared completion.

He very rarely did this. The few times he did, he would be angry at himself for days, humiliated that he had succumbed to his baser urges. 

She could hear his panting growing louder, more desperate. Rin glanced behind her and saw the shape of his back bent over the bed. She heard him swallow, fisting harder, and then a ragged exhale. She watched him fumble for the box of tissues.

He let out a harsh breath, then gasped. Rin looked away as he came and covered himself, penis twitching into the wad of tissues in his hand.

A moment. He stayed hunched over himself, breathing hard, his heart rapidly beating. He rose and took a shaky breath, tucking himself back inside his pants and tossing the tissues in the trash. He walked past her as he went to the bathroom and washed his hands in scalding hot water.

*****

"Obito, can I ask you something? And you promise you won't get embarrassed?"

They're lying in bed, Rin wrapping her arms around his chest and leaning against his neck. Obito strokes her forehead. "What is it?" Obito says. Rin shifts on his chest, looking up at him.

"When I was a ghost, you know, I could go to different rooms to give you privacy," Rin says. "But I could only do that when you were showering or using the bathroom. The other times...." she tries not to embarrass him. "...the other times, I couldn't leave."

"You mean when I...?"

"Yeah."

Obito blinks. His cheeks are red. Rin continues. "Did you think of me, those times? Is that why I couldn't leave the room?"

Obito blushes. "I always think of you," Obito says. Rin giggles softly, kissing and hugging him.


	21. Remote Meetings

It's Obito's first time setting foot in a civilian village, and he looks around, shocked at how urban and advanced it is. Their buildings are tall and every inch of ground is covered in concrete, civilian men and women walking in business suits and talking on their phones.

Thank god he didn't wear the Hokage robes. He glances at his advisors around him who look similarly out of place. By comparison, he and his coterie of shinobi look like backwoods idiots who have never been to the city.

"As you can see, we've completely divorced ourselves from needing chakra; everything in this city is based on the latest technologies." Their escort smiles, holding a tablet and leading them to the conference room. "Of course, the Fire Country as well as Konoha are major players; we believe we have much to offer."

She shows them to the conference room, where she sets the tablet down and attaches a thin keyboard to it. Obito frowns and glances at his advisors, who are similarly at a loss as to what she's doing.

The laptop buzzes. A face flares onto the screen. " _Ah, Hokage-sama, welcome. You seem much younger than we anticipated. I admit we thought you were older when we saw the white hair._ "

"Er--" Obito glances again at his advisors, but they seem to be similarly at a loss. "Minister. Thank you for having us. Is there a reason why you're not present at this meeting?"

The minister chuckles. " _I do apologize,_ " the minister says. " _But I was advised by my shinobi expert that your, ah, rather unique set of abilities might put us at a disadvantage._ "

Obito frowns. "You're afraid I would genjutsu you to agreeing to unfavorable terms?"

" _Well._ " The minister spreads his hands. " _It was at the advice of my experts. Please don't take offense, it is only a precautionary measure that we do this remotely._ "

Obito scoffs. "Minister, I'm afraid your 'experts' gave you bad advice," Obito says, and he opens his eyes to briefly show the Minister his Sharingan, before deactivating it again. "If I wanted to genjutsu you, I could do it right now, but as a matter of trust I choose not to. I would have hoped you'd extend us the same courtesy," he says, and on the computer screen, the Minister's face goes pale. "Negotiations should be done in good faith, should they not?"

The Minister ducks down, an advisor frantically whispering in his ear. Shit. Obito shouldn't have done that. He's too used to tossing off mocking one-liners and then stupifying his targets. If he were in the Akatsuki, he would layer his words with a thin genjutsu, plying them with pretty compliments and manipulate them into trusting him. But he's not in the Akatsuki, he's supposed to be diplomatic, but it's difficult to be neutral when he sees the Minister's advisors whispering off-camera.

" _My apologies, Hokage-sama,_ " the Minister says, " _but my advisors are telling me to conduct this meeting over conference call._ "

He is a scared little man, Obito thinks, and instinctively he can pinpoint all the fault lines in his psyche. The nervous tick, as the Minister butters him up with apologies. The slicked back hair with too much hair gel, obviously masking other insecurities. He is a man who would be easy to intimidate.

Obito takes a breath. He shouldn't be doing that. Manipulating people is what he used to do and he's Hokage now, he really shouldn't.

"Minister, if it would put you at ease, I would be glad to take a phone call." So annoying. The Minister smiles.

" _We will be in touch. If you could give us a moment...?_ "

The phone rings. Their escort puts the phone on speaker.

****

"They made you conduct trade negotiations over the phone?" Kakashi's eyes are wide while Obito tells him. "Are you serious?"

"Apparently their advisors told them about my Sharingan." Obito taps the side of his head. "It was so irritating. And we still haven't come to terms."

"What are you going to do?" Kakashi asks. Obito shakes his head.

"I'll have to delegate the task to my subordinates. My advisors are already vetting people to be lead negotiator."

"Huh," Kakashi says. There's a knocking at the door.

"Hokage-sama." An assistant pokes his head in. "I have some bad news."

"What is it?" Obito says. The assistant clutches his papers.

"Konoha has been formally disinvited from the Land of Rivers summit."

"What? Why?"

The assistant hesitates. "They would like you to participate in the meetings via conference call."

Kakashi snorts. Even with his mouth covered, Obito can tell Kakashi is sporting a shit-eating grin.

"Wow, Obito. Maybe I should have been Hokage after all."


	22. Medication

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Depression, anxiety, intrusive thoughts, suicidal ideation

She's putting away a small bottle of antacid when she opens the medication cabinet and sees his bottles of pills, all lined up neatly in a row.

Antidepressant. Migraine prophylaxis. Pain pill. Anxiolytic. Rin knows he's been taking medication. Like with everything else, she knows because she had been following him. But the details of her past life are fuzzy and she doesn't quite remember the events surrounding it.

"Oh," Obito says, and Rin turns around. "Rin--"

"Oh, sorry." Rin quickly shuts the medicine cabinet. "I didn't mean to snoop, I was just putting away some medication."

"No, it's fine," Obito says. "I thought you knew everything about me, anyway." He walks over to her, then picks up a bottle, studying the label. "It took a long time to get the right combination. They don't do much for the guilt and shame and constant regret, but they do take the edge off the existential dread."

Rin watches as he sets the bottle back in the cabinet. "What made you decide to get help?" she asks.

"Kakashi." Obito closes the cabinet door. "After I was resurrected, people were kind to me and Sensei forgave me. I couldn't handle it." Obito taps his hand on the sink, remembering. "Kakashi kept worrying I was going to kill myself. Looking back he was probably right."

Rin remembers. In the days following the war, he spent his nights alone weeping. Quietly Rin rubs his back, then wraps her arms around him.


	23. Medication, part 2

It's still dark outside when Obito wakes up, and Rin watches as he pads barefoot to the bathroom, opening the medicine cabinet and shaking out his pills.

Rin rolls under the covers. Obito swallows his pills with one large gulp of water, before screwing the caps back on again.

He starts to get dressed quietly, not realizing Rin is awake. "Obito," she says. She stretches an arm out to his side of the bed. Obito smiles. He walks around to her side and sits next to her, smiling as she crawls toward him and rests her head onto his lap. "Early meeting?"

Obito sighs. "They're all early," Obito says. He strokes Rin's hair, idly. "I have an appointment this afternoon, so I'm going to try and get through all the paperwork this morning."

"Mm. You're seeing the therapist?"

"She's a psychiatrist. It's just for refills, hopefully it won't be too long."

She makes a cup of tea and sits on the couch while he gets ready, drawing her knees to her chest and holding a teacup while Obito gathers his things. "I'm heading out," he says, and Rin smiles at him.

"Come back safe," Rin says. Obito smiles and closes the door.


	24. Sex, part 3 (explicit)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Explicit PIV sex, woman on top, missionary position, legs on shoulders

She's on top this time, and Obito watches as her mouth goes slack and her face turns red, her eyes closed as she grounds her hips down and concentrates on her orgasm. His hands rest on her waist as she roughly pistons herself on top of him. There are rude, squelching sounds and Rin's tight breathing, and then a startled cry before she comes and jerks on top of him.

She collapses onto his chest, and Obito holds her for a moment, feeling her heart beating through her breast and her hard breathing fanning across his neck. Her body twitches a few more times, before she goes limp and pliant. He kisses her forehead and strokes her back, before they roll her over and change positions.

He kisses her deeply, one hand cradling the back of her head, tangling into her hair. He moves with long, slow thrusts, kissing her and hugging her tightly. Rin gasps a bit and smiles at him, her mouth curling up at the corners. Obito grins and kisses her eyes and her cheek, before burrowing his face into her neck and thrusting harder.

If one were to tell him this a year ago, he wouldn't have believed it. That Rin would be alive again and that she would actually love him. In the back of his mind, the genjutsu world was enough to bring her back, but he didn't expect her to actually reunite with him.

Pleasure builds. He pushes up on his arms and thrusts fast and hard. Her knees bump against the sides of his ribs before he hauls up her legs over his shoulders and pushes forward, stroking deeper inside her, pleasure crowding until it gathers and topples over. He falls onto her chest, catching his breath and pulsing hard, while Rin lowers her legs and rests her arms around him.

He stills and she beams up at him, tilting her chin upward to press against his mouth a soft kiss. "That was nice," Rin says, and Obito laughs, embarrassed. He drops his head against her neck and pulses again, a few aftershocks, while she smiles wide and kisses him.


	25. Hair Dye

"You should dye your hair," Kakashi says, apropos of nothing. Obito furrows his brow.

"What, why?"

"Because for most people, white hair is distinguished, but on you it just looks weird."

Obito frowns.

****

"Eh? Dye your hair?" Rin looks up. "Why?"

"Kakashi seems to think I look weird. That maybe I wouldn't scare off the delegates as much if I dyed my hair and used foundation on my neck and hand."

Rin looks. It's true, the patches of cloned skin can look a bit off-putting. His hand and neck are the color of an etiolated egg, translucent and criss-crossed with fine, purplish veins. And that isn't even taking into account the scars on his face, which are jarring even on a good day. Rin frowns at him. "Wouldn't the foundation rub off on your clothes, though?"

"I don't know, would it?"

"Here," she says, and she rummages through her makeup bag.

*****

On a whim, Rin goes to the convenience store to pick up some hair dye.

"I got a couple boxes so you can pick out the best color black," Rin says. Obito frowns at her.

"There's different colors of black?"

"Apparently there is."

"I feel idiotic," Obito says. Rin sets down her bag.

"For the record, I don't think you have to do this. I think your hair looks fine the way it is."

They both look at the box. "This seems complicated," Obito says.

He doesn't dye his hair.


	26. Team of Morons, redux

There's a shift in the air, the curtains moving ominously in the darkness behind him.

"Why can't you go through the door like a normal person?" Obito says, as Madara appears behind him, red eyes glittering like the sheen on a slick of oil.

"Obito. I have need of your services."

"What about it?"

Madara's mouth stretches into a malicious smile.

*****

"He wants to be taken off Naruto and Gai's team?" Kakashi says. Obito drops his head on his arms, resting on his desk.

"Apparently it's the real reason he wanted me to be Hokage." Obito's voice is muffled by his arms. He looks up. "And here I thought he was worried about his children."

"Are you going to do it?" Kakashi says. Obito spreads his hands.

"A part of me wants to. He has a family, I don't think he'd be a threat to the village."

"But?"

"But...he has a tendency to do what he wants to. There's a chance he may act in what he thinks is the village's best interest, but end up pissing people off in the process."

Obito suddenly straightens. "Kakashi I think I know what I have to do."

*****

"Obito!" Madara bursts into Obito's office, Mangekyou active and chakra battle-ready. "How dare you refuse to take me off that team with the Uzumaki brat and the Taijutsu idiot! If you think I will stand idly by while you insult my visual prowess, know that if those two are killed their blood will be on your hands!"

"I don't think you're going to kill them," Obito says. Madara's chakra flares.

"Oh? And what makes you think I won't kill you for your insubordination?"

"I don't answer to you, and I know you won't because I'm the one teaching your daughter." Obito crosses his arms.

" _Kuso_. Shit!" Madara punches the wall. Obito raises his eyebrows.

Madara points. "I will remember this."

Obito scoffs. "I'm sure you will."

And Madara vaults swiftly into the darkness, angry and cursing on the way out.


	27. Zombies

"Hokage-sama! We have a problem!"

"What is it?" Obito says. The shinobi rests his hands on his knees, breathless.

"There are zombies that have taken over the civilian quarter!"

"What?" Obito says.

*****

"I'm so sorry!" Hashi says. Their neighbors are cowering in Madara's Susanoo while Hashi tries sequestering the undead nin she tried bringing back. "It worked with Izuna and Rin, I thought I could bring everybody back--"

"Raaaaar!" Zombies burst through the fence, making their neighbors scream. Madara knocks them down with his battle fan.

Obito stares. "How many did you resurrect?" he says. Hashi thinks.

"Um, I think the entire shinobi army? And I tried resurrecting Minato's wife, too."

"Ahhhhh!" another zombie says. Madara kicks him in the throat and punches another one behind him.


	28. Zombies, part 2

"YOSH! Who's ready to kick some zombie ass, dattebayo!"

Ino shrieks. "It's Neji! Naruto-kun! Neji's a zombie!"

Minato pushes Kushina back, his hand flat against her forehead. "This is bad," Minato says. Kushina flails, then bares her teeth at him. "This is really bad."

In the middle of it all, Uchiha Itachi stands in the civilian quarter, cracks in his skin and his sclera blackened, looking thoroughly confused.

Sasuke gasps, "Nii-san! You're not a zombie?!"

"No, I am merely undead." Itachi frowns, looking at the chaos around him. "Is the war still ongoing? Are they attacking the village?"

"RAWR!" a zombie smashes through the glass window of a cake shop, then begins stuffing its face with pastry.

"Nevermind, Little Brother, I think I know the answer."


	29. Zombies, part 3

Obito walks through the village, assessing the damage. What was once the civilian square is now a bombed-out waste, buildings crumbling and the streets covered in detritus and broken glass. "Do we have any casualties?" Obito asks. Shizune flips through her notepad.

"74 people injured, zero fatalities. But reports of missing persons are still trickling in, and the damage to the village's infrastructure is quite immense."

"Tch." Obito rubs his head.

It took a platoon of ANBU nin to herd the zombies into the forest, where Hashi sealed them with her Mokuton prison. There, Itachi showed her how to negate the jutsu, and after weaving a few hand seals, the zombie nin crumbled into dust and ash. ("Won't canceling the Edo Tensei affect you too?" Hashi asked Itachi. Itachi shook his head.

"I released myself from that jutsu awhile ago."

"Oh, okay. Cool.")

"Were any houses in the residential areas affected?" Obito asks. The ANBU nin nods.

"Approximately ten percent of civilian housing got razed by the zombie attack. Most of the damage seems to be confined to the commercial areas, but we have a team already mobilizing an emergency shelter in case any residents are displaced."

"Good," Obito says. "Notify the village council. The villagers will need disaster relief. We'll have to figure out how to re-allocate funds to provide adequate aid."

"Yes, Hokage-sama." And the ANBU nin disappears into the smoke.

Outside, the civilians venture out, cleaning debris and sweeping the dust and detritus. Obito and Kakashi stand in the middle of the civilian town center, looking at the smashed up windows and thick columns of smoke.

"Wow, what a shit show," Kakashi says. He glances at Obito. "They're gonna blame you because you're Hokage, you know."

Above them, a piece of roof falls after catching on fire.


	30. Uchiha Itachi

"Madara is Hokage?!" Itachi's eyes widen. His hand grips his sword.

"Worry not, Little Brother," Itachi says, and he pulls out his sword in one fluid motion. "I will do what I should have done a long time ago."

"Wait wait wait wait WAIT Itachi NO!" Naruto and Sasuke have to physically block Itachi from leaving. Itachi whips around.

"What is the matter with you two? Are you under his genjutsu? Let me feel your chakra, he may have disturbed its flow--"

"That's not the real Madara dattebayo, _that's_ the real Madara," and Naruto points to a man with a bunch of kids strapped to him, a baby chewing on his battle fan and a toddler walking on a leash. "The guy you thought was Madara is really a guy named Obito."

"What?" Itachi says. Naruto nods vigorously.

"Yeah! Old Man Madara activated the Moon's Eye, but instead of creating a new reality, he grew this giant tree that cocooned everyone and sucked up all the chakra from all the shinobi! And then this biiiiiig alien lady came and I guess she was some kind of goddess or somethin' and we all thought we were screwed but Obito woke up and was like 'what the heck is happening,' and then he HELPED US, Itachi! An' then we went to a gravity dimension and a fire dimension and Sasuke was trapped in this DESERT dimension but Obito found us and she threw these chakra rods at us but then he jumped in front of us, dattebayo!"

Itachi blinks. He turns to Sasuke.

"Can you genjutsu me with the information?"

"Yeah, sure."


	31. Outfit

Obito doesn't wear the Hokage robes.

He doesn't wear the robes. He doesn't wear the cape. He doesn't even wear the hat, even if ceremonial circumstances dictate it: he'll only hold it gingerly and then pawn it off to Kakashi. Kakashi turns the hat over in his hands, frowning. "Obito. You can't tell me wearing this hat is any worse than wearing those masks."

Obito doesn't look up from his papers. "I don't like things sitting on top of my head."

Kakashi blinks. The boulders. Right.

Kakashi leans back, looking at him. He's wearing the standard green flak jacket, but beneath that he's dressed the way he used to dress when he pretended to be Madara - black pants and a black shirt that covers his neck up to the chin, and he puts on black gloves if there's a visitor. All he would need is his orange mask.

Kakashi knows without asking why he's wearing gloves and a turtleneck - half of Obito's neck and his entire right hand is made of Hashirama's cells, so the color contrast between his face and the rest of his body is jarring.

"Obito. What did you do with all those masks, anyway?"

He turns a page. "I burned them."

"Ah."

There's only the sound of Obito's pen writing on paper.

"You really should dye your hair," Kakashi says. Obito sets his pen down and frowns at him.


	32. Defense

"EH?! Kakashi why do you have to keep picking on him?!"

Kakashi raises his hands. "Hold on a minute, Rin--"

"You're such a jerk! Obito is working really hard and all you do is make fun of him!"

Obito shakes his head. "This is word for word the same conversation we had as kids," Obito says. Kakashi and Rin turn.

"Really?" Rin says. Obito nods. Rin whirls around toward Kakashi.

"Kakashi you grew up into a jerk!"

A sweatdrop forms on Kakashi's brow "O-oi."

"Picking on Obito just because he looks weird! He can't help it!" Rin says. (She said something similar when they were kids: "Kakashi you're a jerk! Picking on Obito just because he cries a lot! He can't help it!")

"This is making me nostalgic," Minato says.


	33. Defense, part 2

"Why do you have to keep picking on him? Obito is working really hard! Just because he still can't do basic ninjutsu doesn't mean you can make fun of him!"

****

"Kakashi be nice! So what if he cries a lot? He can't help it! He's sensitive!"

****

"Why do you have to be such a jerk, Kakashi?! Just because he lost six times in a row doesn't mean you get to make fun of him!"

****

"Kakashi this is like making fun of a baby, stop it!"

*****

"Calm down, Obito! Quit yelling, Kakashi won fair and square."

****

"No one said you were a crybaby, Obito, we were just saying that you cry a lot."

****

"I mean, it's okay, not everyone gets it on the first try." A beat. "You've been working on this for a month?"

*****

"Don't apologize, Obito, I don't mind treating your wounds. You're the reason why I'm so good at suturing!"

****

"Ne, Obito. Do you think Kakashi likes me?" (Proceeds to wax poetic about Kakashi for half an hour).

*****

The genjutsu ends. “Sorry,” Rin says.


	34. and then there would be sun

He was standing at their graves again. Silently, Obito watched as Kakashi reverently knelt forward, setting a bouquet of flowers in front of Rin's headstone. They were lilies this time: the week before, Kakashi had brought a bouquet of roses, red and pink and wrapped in a cone of white paper. He never brought anything for Obito: instead, Kakashi would just stand and stare for awhile, as if speaking to him, or praying for him. His grave, unlike the others, was without offerings, no half-spent candles or wilted flowers covering his head stone.

It was just as well: the gifts were wasted on the dead, and Obito if anything had died a long time ago.

*****

The mask maker he visited was a civilian, old and gray and hunching over his work bench. The masks he made were for festivals and for children, hung up in clean, bright colors and decorating the walls. "A shame," the mask maker said, and he turned over Obito's old mask in his hands. "A mask like this cracked so easily! I will see what I can do."

Obito watched silently. The mask maker's hands were knotted and arthritic, the joints of his fingers stiff and knobby. The mask Obito needed now had to be stronger and more resilient, but he knew he would miss the old orange whorl.

"Are you a ninja?" the old man's granddaughter asked. She came out from the back room and trotted up to him. "How come you're wearing a mask?"

Obito looked at her. She was young - six or seven at the most - and painfully unaware of the goings-on in the shinobi world. Civilians often are, Obito thought, and silently he removed his mask, letting the girl see the scars on his face. "Do they hurt?" the girl asked. Obito shook his head.

"Not really."

The girl sat next to him. There was a bandaid covering a cut on her shin.

Six years old. Obito was about that age when he began his training, thirteen when he had supposedly died. The girl sucked on a piece of hard candy then lost interest in him, jumping up from the bench to run up to her grandfather, who smiled and patted her on the head.

"Forgive me my granddaughter," the old man said, kindly. "She has never met a shinobi before."

"I don't mind," he said. He rose and looked out the window.

They stood on the backs of fallen nin. Discreetly, Obito moved and quietly balled up the wanted sign tacked up on the merchant's bulletin board, a poorly drawn caricature of a man in a mask. Images copied from bingo books were notoriously diluted out here, among the merchants and the farmers with no concept of shinobi life. Behind him, the girl chatted idly while the grandfather smiled and laughed, and Obito could hear the sturdy sounds of the old man carving into the wood.

"How come you have one eye?" the little girl said. Obito turned to look at her. "What happened to your face?"

"A rock fell on me," Obito said, and the little girl squealed, laughing.

"A rock! That's silly! How come you didn't dodge it?"

"Child, please," the old man said. Obito smiled.

Funny. Among his subordinates in the Akatsuki or his enemies in faraway lands, no one had ever dared speak to him so directly. Even if he didn't take on the mantle of Uchiha Madara, shinobi of enemy villages could sense Obito was dangerous, and often kept a wide berth.

Obito had no need for friendship: he had bigger goals, a grander scheme to follow.

But Obito was tired. The civilian village had taken a full four days of travel by teleportation, and though Obito normally used his Jikuukan Idou to teleport long distances, the land was far and remote and well-removed from any shinobi territory. The girl offered him a piece of candy and swung her legs on the wooden bench, and quietly Obito took it from her, turning the brightly colored wrapper in his hands.

The shop was quiet. Sunlight came in bright amber streaks, coloring the room with a warm orange glow. "You should eat it," the little girl said.

Obito turned. The little girl was looking at the candy, expectantly.

"It's strawberry flavored," the little girl said. "It's really good."

"Child. Leave the man alone," the grandfather said.

Obito smiled. He looked at the little girl and held up the candy. Then, as if performing a magic trick, he used his jutsu to make the piece swirl, then disappear.

The little girl squealed. "Grandpa! Look!"

"I saw," the old man said, and gave Obito an apologetic look, _Thank you, shinobi-san, for putting up with my granddaughter._

"Can you do that again?" the little girl said, and she leaned excitedly, peering into his cloak. Obito smiled. He waved his hand: the candy re-appeared.

"Wow!" the little girl said, and Obito leaned back, closing his eye.

It was times like this that Obito remembered the reasons behind his plan. It fortified him. Too long he had shut himself off from the world, had worked alone and without a confidante, someone with whom he could share his hardships. Manipulation, suggestion. Twisting other men's needs to suit his ends. Even those who were close to him - those who knew him as Madara - were wary, and he didn't trust them. If he were his old self, he would falter under the weight of such loneliness, but Obito knew his actions had a purpose. His suffering would not be in vain.

The little girl played with a cloth doll. She brushed its hair, then showed it to him, smiling proudly. Obito took the doll from her and the little girl squealed, and the grandfather snapped, "Child. Leave him be!" and the little girl grabbed the doll and ran, bare feet pounding on the hardwood floor.

*****

"It's taking longer than I thought," the old man said. He smiled apologetically, rubbing a calloused hand against his neck. "Forgive me, shinobi-san. I know you have traveled a long way, but I promise you: I will work on this piece all night!"

“Do not trouble yourself. I'm in no hurry," Obito said. The old man nodded, understanding.

"There is an inn not too far from here," the old man said, and the little girl grinned, watching as Obito stood. "Tell them I'm the reason for holding up your travels, and they will let you stay for free."

"Thank you," Obito said. He let his hand fall heavily on the little girl's head; she beamed up at him, smiling wide.

In the hotel room, Obito sat on the bed and removed his mask. It was dark now and Obito let his fingers run over the jagged bumps of scarred skin. Some areas were numb and dead to his touch; others tingled slightly, frayed ends of nerves that sometimes burst with jolts of searing pain. His scar didn't hurt, fortunately. Silently Obito set down his mask and took off his cloak, then moved to sit on the floor. Even here, in this civilian village, old habits die hard, and Obito slept upright, back against the wall and a katana against his shoulder.

When was the last time Obito had slept on a proper bed? He couldn't remember. Surely it was during his youth, when he and Rin and Kakashi hefted heavy sleeping mats and passed out on shared blankets during genin missions. Even when he was with the Akatsuki, he only slept for a few hours, sleeping lightly and waking to the smallest sound, the smallest threat around him. There were times, times when he was drained and physically exhausted, where he teleported himself to his dimension, sleeping among shapeless things in the place between other existences: he did this rarely, though, because the jutsu was long and exhausting and often times Obito would wake up with searing pains in his eye, the jutsu itself making him feel worse. So Obito didn't rest. He waited, ever ready to face an enemy foolish enough to try to kill him.

*****

"It is done," the old man said.

Obito gave him his payment, then moved to the mirror and put on the mask. The mask fit him well, and though he hadn't yet implanted the Rinnegan, there was a second eyelet, which exposed the gaping maw of his left socket. He was careful to close that eye, before turning to show the little girl.

"Shinobi-san, there is something I want to ask you."

Obito adjusted his cloak, then turned. The old man was standing, the little girl hiding against the apron at his waist. "We heard there is going to be a war," the old man said.

Obito watched. The old man's arm was wrapped protectively around the little girl's shoulder, who was looking up at him with frightened eyes.

"Are you frightened, child?" Obito knelt. The little girl shook her head, staring at him. Slowly, Obito reached forward, then stroked the curls of the little girl's head.

"Do not be afraid, little one. For I fight on the side of peace."

"I hope you win, shinobi-san," the old man said. Obito rose again, meeting his eyes. "I hope, for all our sakes, you win."

"As do I," Obito said, and he raised his hood, pausing once to look back at them, before closing the door.


	35. Genin (angst)

"Hokage-sama. We have some bad news."

Obito puts his papers down on his desk as the ANBU nin kneels in front of him. "A team of genin was found killed at the Land of Earth, just northwest of the Ganu mountains."

"What happened?" Obito asks, and the ANBU nin lifts his head.

"They were on a C-ranked escort mission at the request of a young woman to see her grandmother." The ANBU nin hands Obito the papers. He flips through them as the ANBU nin speaks. "As it turned out, the woman was a high-ranked target. We believe a group of mercenaries ambushed the team as they started to cross the mountain overpass."

"Why wasn't the woman vetted? Clients are supposed to be checked for all escort missions." He flips through a few photographs: pictures of the team members, the Hyuuga jounin who was supposed to supervise them.

"I don't know, Hokage-sama, but my feeling is they purposely downplayed the request because genin don't cost as much for a C-ranked mission."

"Do we know why she was targeted?"

"Hai. Our sources say it was due to a domestic dispute that had previously gone unreported. We believe the estranged husband had hired those assassins."

"How old were the genin?" Obito asks.

"They ranged from 12 to 13. Their leader was a 26-year-old jounin. He had just been newly promoted."

Obito sets his papers down on the desk. "Thank you," Obito says. "I will let their parents know."

*****

It was easy to compartmentalize things when he acted as Uchiha Madara. The voice, the different ways of moving. The sneering contempt of all his enemies. He could cut off the human parts of himself at any moment, and Obito draws on this now as he personally speaks with each set of parents. They weep. He offers nothing but empty condolences. They clasp his hand and thank him.

Sunset. Obito sits in his office, looking at the photographs. The 13-year-old was a boy whose chakra reserves were thin but whose ninjutsu was proficient. The two twelve-year-olds had gone to school together and considered each other rivals of each other. The jounin was a newly promoted Hyuuga, promoted for his bloodline abilities and his proficiency in taijutsu.

A drop of water, then another, falls on top of the photographs. Obito grits his teeth and holds his head in his hands.

The world is wrong. Lives are disposable in this cruel, fake reality. He wanted to save the world for everyone, the living and the dead he'd killed to achieve those ends.

Obito spends the night crying. Not just because it was his fault they died, but because of everything. Because he failed. Because he was wrong. Because he had waded deep into a river of blood for nothing. Because his grief is overwhelming.

Rin doesn't say anything, just holds him, running her hands up and down the line of his back, then resting her cheek against the side of his hair.


	36. Genin, part 2

There is a small faction of missing nin hiding out in the Ganu mountains. Obito goes there personally and brutally kills all of them.

"Hokage-sama. Shall we send a team of jounin to infiltrate them?"

Obito lifts his eyes. "There's no need," Obito says. "I've already taken care of them."

The ANBU leaves. Through the doorway, there is nothing but the small dark shape of a man hunching over his desk in the office, the empty room a reddish orange by the sun setting behind him.


	37. Genin, part 3

"Whoa. Did the Bingo Book get lighter?" Sasuke says.

"Eh? What do you mean?" Naruto says. He looks over Sasuke's shoulder.

Sasuke points. "There's thirteen fewer missing nin than there were yesterday. It looks like they were wiped out in a single night."

"Whoa," Naruto says. "That must have been a pretty large scale mission, dattebayo."


	38. Studying, part 3

"Okay, next question," the examiner says. "What would be your initial approach to a trauma patient in the field?" Rin answers without hesitation.

"I would assess the airway, maintain cervical spine stabilization if warranted, and I would make sure they're adequately ventilated and that they're maintaining good end-organ perfusion." Rin says it almost by rote: she has a lot of experience with trauma patients as a field medic.

The examiner clears his throat. "Okay, good. And tell me, what would the indications be for a full-body CT scan?"

Rin blinks. "A...a what?"

"A CT scan of the head and neck, chest, abdomen, and pelvis. Tell me when it's appropriate to order it, the indications for using contrast, and when it would be clinically relevant."

"Um," Rin licks her lips. "I've never heard of a CT scan." The examiners glance at each other.

*****

"It's a civilian modality! How was I supposed to know they've integrated it into their standard of practice! The whole thing was stupid and I can't believe I failed it!"

Rin rages. She's just failed the oral portions of her board exams. Obito tries to calm her down.

"You can retake it, right?" Obito says. Rin glares.

"That's not the point! We both know my skills were jounin-level when it came to medical ninjutsu, just because I don't know civilian medicine doesn't mean I don't know what I'm doing! I can diagnose areas of internal bleeding based on chakra fluctuations, I don't need a stupid ultrasound or CT scan to tell me."

She flops onto the bed, staring at the ceiling angrily. "Did you know even Hashi-san failed that stupid exam? Hashi-san, Senju Hashirama, the freaking founder of medical ninjutsu, and they would even let her get certified by the board!"

"I heard it was because she didn't know how to use the computer," Obito says. That particular fail was legendary: all the examinees had to take the exam on the computer, and Hashi got so frustrated a thicket of young trees exploded in the computer room. "Besides, you could still work as a chuunin without the medic nin designation."

"Okay, then would you assign me on missions?"

Obito hesitates. Rin glares. "Would you?"

"I'm not very objective," Obito says.

"Obito!"

"I just want you safe, I wouldn't want you to go on missions because I want you here." He clasps Rin's hand. "Look. If you were to register, it wouldn't be up to me. One of my subordinates would be the one handling your case file, as Hokage I only handle A-class and S-class missions. But I still want you to be safe," Obito says. Rin sighs heavily.

"I'm going stir crazy. I want to work again."

"I know."

"So you'll support me if I register?"

"I'd rather you work as a medic, but I want you to be happy," Obito says. Rin sighs.

"I guess I need to study," Rin says finally.


	39. Kyuubi

Everyone talks about how similar Obito is to Madara: they're both Uchiha, and they're both ruthless at achieving their goals. This isn't even accounting for their physical mannerisms, the speech patterns and the mocking one-liners, their style of fighting and the fact that they're both taciturn men.

In Hashi's opinion, though, Obito couldn't be more different than Madara: Madara is hot-headed, prone to reckless displays of force if he's irritated, giddy when he gets a new power, and has an almost idiotic need to dive headfirst into battle, a general not-thinking-things-through that he ends up justifying retroactively. He likes to toy with his enemies and draw things out for his amusement, even if delaying things is unwise strategically.

Obito, on the other hand, is cautious. He orchestrates from the shadows. He has plans and multiple contingency plans, and is able to scrap everything and start over if the situation warrants it. He is as calm and calculating as Madara is reckless and impulsive.

Hashi can see this dynamic play out now, as Obito argues with Madara.

"We're so sorry, Obito-san! But Madara-ojiichan acted so fast, we couldn't stop him, dattebayo!" Naruto says. Gai hangs his head.

"I am ashamed to say it, but even my Dynamic Entry of Heart-Pounding Love wasn't enough to stop him."

"It's alright, Gai, Naruto," Obito says. He glares at Madara. "This isn't your fault." Madara rolls his eyes extravagantly.

"To think that I have sunk so low as to be lectured by my idiot apprentice. There is nothing to talk about. There were no casualties," Madara says. "The only reason why I've deigned to come here is because of Hashirama."

Hashi elbows him in the ribs. Madara sniffs arrogantly.

"Madara: why the hell would you perform a fire jutsu of that size and magnitude in the middle of an elementary school playground? And then activate your Susanoo and then forcibly draw out and ride around on the Kyuubi?" In fact, there were multiple reports of Madara rampaging at the playground, riding on the Kyuubi with Naruto getting dragged along in the background. Madara shrugs.

"The idiot behind me makes it so easy, you should be talking to him," Madara says.

"Why?" Obito says. Madara crosses his arms.

"Uchiha Madara is not just some house husband."

"Oh god," Hashi says.

"That pissant father needed to be taught a lesson, and so I taught it well. He now knows never to cross me."

Hashi clarifies. "His kids were hogging the swings," Hashi says.

"This was over swings?" Obito says.

"A territorial dispute that could only be solved by a display of force." Madara crosses his arms. "I believe I schooled him thoroughly."

"I'm so sorry. They've been fighting over playground equipment for weeks, I didn't think it'd go this far, otherwise I would have gone with him," Hashi says.

Obito sighs. "At the very least, it appears nothing was damaged--"

"Of course nothing was damaged. I was in complete control at all times. And yet you call me in here like some apprehensive school marm."


	40. Kyuubi, part 2

"You speak as if he's some sort of mastermind. You forget that I was the one who came up with the original plan," Madara says.

Hashi crosses her arms. "Okay then. So what was the plan?" Madara sniffs, loftily.

"Capture the bijou. Genjutsu the child in whom I implanted the Rinnegan. Make him weave the seals to activate the Rinne Tensei and resurrect me."

"That's it?" Hashi says.

"What do you mean, 'that's it'?" Madara says.

"I mean, that's not really a plan, that's more of like, a directive or an outline or a command..."

"Woman, how specific did you want me to be? It should have taken him a year or two, tops, to capture the bijou. And was he really so incompetent he couldn't force a child to weave signs with genjutsu? Instead my pinheaded protégé decided to create a shadow organization, and then waste his time pretending to be the Mizukage so he could embezzle their money and avenge his precious Rin. And to what end? Why introduce so much complexity? Just get the bijou. Capture them. Get the child. Resurrect me."

"Well...."

"The fact that the Moon's Eye plan was false does not excuse his idiocy."

"Ugh."


	41. Kyuubi, part 3

"'One or two years, tops'? What, are you kidding me?" Obito says. "First of all, the only bijou Madara ever caught was the Kyuubi, who was free-roaming at the time, not to mention Madara had two working Sharingan, I only had one eye.

"Secondly, 'find the child'? I asked him, 'Madara-san, where do I find the child?' and he said, 'Find him in the Land of Fog and Rain.' Okay. The Land of Fog and Rain is a fucking big country, where in the Land of Fog and Rain? 'Where the sky weeps and the mountains rise up like bones.' Well how about an address? Does the child have a name? 'He is of Senju lineage.' Yeah that doesn't help me. Are you being vague on purpose?

"And does he not realize how well-fortified the other countries are? And how fucking difficult they are to infiltrate? And how their jinchuuriki are all well-guarded secrets? I was going to capture the Three-Tails anyway, I could use my connections as Mizukage to get my people where they needed to be! And if that lunatic thinks it's possible to do a bijou extraction and sealing by himself, he's even more delusional than I thought he'd be."

Kakashi and Rin stare at him.

"Yeah, maybe you shouldn't be talking about this in the middle of the restaurant," Kakashi says. Rin nods, emphatically. "Just a thought."


	42. Remote Meetings, part 2

"So you want me to negotiate for you with this civilian village?" Kakashi looks over the papers. Obito sighs.

"Our Hyuuga negotiator spooked them, and then word got out that our Yamanaka negotiator can control minds and they terminated the meeting."

Kakashi crosses his arms. "So in other words, you're having me negotiate because I don't have any bloodline abilities?"

"Well, I think they're aware that you're a remarkable shinobi, but it's not as if you'd actually attack, so..."

Kakashi sighs. "What are we negotiating for? A metal ore?"

"Something called 'silicon,'" Obito shuffles his papers. "They make microprocessor chips that power their technologies."

"Obito. Why are we moving to adopt civilian technologies? We already can do the equivalent through chakra control."

"Anything to gain a tactical advantage." Obito sets down his pen. "You may not know this, Kakashi, but one of the reasons why Amegakure was so formidable is because they integrated civilian tech into their infrastructure. Why rely on telepathy or mental ninjutsu when you could have security cameras and street-wide surveillance? Half the things we focus on could just as easily be automated."

Kakashi smirks. "I see you're integrating your experience as the shadow leader of the Akatsuki quite nicely."

"Quiet."

"Kidding," Kakashi says. Obito glares at him.


	43. Flashback

Nighttime. Rin is asleep, the line of her body hidden by shadows. She's lying on her back, lips parted and hair spread around her like a fan, and Obito suddenly flashes to that moment in the cave, when he set her down on the rock and stared at her lifeless body. Her bloodless lips. The fading warmth of her skin.

He reaches a shaky hand, fingers hovering just above her throat.

Back then, his hand slipped. Phased right through her neck, making him pull back. Shaking, he pulled his hand up again and felt for a pulse. There was none. Just cold skin and old blood, cooling and congealing into a thick paste. Dully, he let his hands cup her cheek and chin, pulling her up so that her body was resting against his.

I promise, Rin.

Cradling her body, sobbing into her shoulder.

I'll create a world where we'll be together again.

" _...ito. Obito...._ OBITO."

"What?" Obito's eyes snap open and he's staring down at Rin, his hand resting against her carotid, feeling her pulse. He's shaking and it's only then he realizes he's crying.

"What is it?" Rin says. She sits up, then pulls him down against her chest, hugging him. She rests her hand into his hair. "Are you okay?"

He takes a shuddery breath, then hugs her back.


	44. Flashback, part 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> PTSD, anxiety, panic attacks

He panics in small spaces. Rin notices it in the slight quickening of his breath, the tightening of his neck and jaw.

He doesn't sleep on his back. When she didn't know any better, she would rest her head on his chest, not realizing he would be remembering the feel of rocks crushing his lungs and shattering his pelvis, the only thing keeping him tethered would be concentrating on the feel of her body against his.

He has panic attacks. She makes love to him with her on top and all of a sudden Obito pushes up, panicking and unable to breathe.

"You should have told me," Rin says, because they've done this before and he's never said anything about it.

Rin adjusts. It's okay if they're both sitting up, if she straddles him on his lap, hugging him and kissing him. It's okay if she cuddles him on his left, letting him rest so that he's slightly angled at the side.

He's toweling himself off, standing next to the bed. He's shirtless and his skin is still damp from his shower earlier, and Rin can see the wet strands of white hair sticking to the curve of his neck. Her eyes follow the line of his back, the muscled broadness of his shoulders and the stark line of white flesh, and she marvels silently and how this broken man was able to put himself back together again.


	45. Elevator

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> PTSD, panic attacks, anxiety

They're in the sleek glass lobby of a civilian high-rise building, Obito, Kakashi, a team of negotiators, and for some reason Madara, coming in for another meeting. Their escort smiles apologetically, then opens a slim suitcase. On the velvet lining are four syringes filled with some sort of serum.

"It's a synaptic dampener," the business escort explains. "It will inhibit you from molding chakra."

"Is this really necessary?" Obito says. Kakashi glances at Obito uneasily. The escort spreads her hands.

"My apologies. But my superiors have given me clear instructions that your being in the building is contingent upon receiving these injections."

Obito is about to refuse when Madara steps forward. "Give me the injection," Madara says.

Obito starts, "Madara--"

"A true shinobi is just as deadly without chakra as he is with it," Madara says. He turns. "Consider this checking our weapons at the door."

Obito's jaw tightens. Grudgingly he pushes up his sleeve, letting them give him the injection.

*****

There are two front-facing elevators in the lobby; it's too small to fit all of them, so the escort and the backup negotiators take one elevator, while Obito, Kakashi, and Madara take the other one.

"We're meeting at the 67th floor," the escort says. "Suite 652-A."

"Thank you," Obito says. The escort nods as the elevator doors close.

Kakashi leans toward Obito. "Obito. Why is Uchiha Madara here with us again?" They both peer back to the lobby, where Madara is messing with the leaves of an ornamental plant. Obito sighs.

"He got kicked out of the PTA and he threatened to burn down the school in retaliation."

"And so we're taking him to a high-stakes diplomatic meeting?" Kakashi says. Madara kicks the plant. The plant wobbles, but swings upright again.

"Hashi-san says he's been depressed being left out of the administration. This is relatively low stakes, and I'd also have the advantage of keeping an eye on him."

Madara punches the plant. The plant rocks again. "This is fake," Madara says. He strides toward them. "What are we waiting for? Let us take this 'elevator' to the 67th floor."

Kakashi presses the "up" button. The lights above the elevator doors blink.

Madara crosses his arms. "What is this contraption, anyway?"

"I'm not sure, from what I understand it's a room that's pulled up several storeys. It's what civilians use instead of taking the stairs," Obito says.

The elevators open. A crowd of business people step outside.

"This is kind of small," Kakashi says. He glances at Obito, frowning.

"Well what are we waiting for?" Madara says. He steps in, bedecked in his battle gear and his hair waving from the air vent above them. Kakashi glances over.

"Obito, would you rather take the stairs?" Kakashi says.

Obito stares up at the numbers above the elevator. "It's 67 floors."

Madara smirks. "Feeling a little claustrophobic, are we?"

Obito scowls, then walks in. The elevator doors close.

Ding. First floor. Second floor. Third. Madara cranes his neck, looking at the wonders of all this modern technology, while Kakashi thumbs through their papers. Obito stands silently in the corner.

"Hm," Madara says, crossing his arms. "I suppose I was a little hasty accepting that synaptic dampener. You could have used your Kamui to teleport us up there. A pity. But I suppose it's fine to experience life as a mere civilian, at least once in awhile."

"We're almost there," Kakashi says to Obito, and he points at the numbers. 30. 31.

The elevator grinds to a stop.

"The devil is this?" Madara says, as the lights flicker before changing from normal to red. Kakashi presses the button.

"I think we've stopped," Kakashi says.

"Well that much is obvious. How do we get it to start?"

"There's an emergency button," Kakashi says, and he presses it.

Madara's eyes slide sideways as Obito stares intently at the corner of the elevator, muscles tense and not saying anything. Kakashi keeps pressing the button. "I don't think it's doing anything, I think it's just making a sound," Kakashi says.

Madara can see Obito is struggling to maintain his breathing. The muscles in his neck and shoulders are tense. Battle ready. He can see the thrum of his pulse beating rapidly at the skin of his neck.

And then the elevator rocks, the red lights flickering again. The three men stumble.

"What was that?" Kakashi says. He presses the emergency button again. The elevator is dark except for the ambient glow of red lights from the floor.

The speaker on the panel crackles. _"Did somebody call for help?"_

"Yes, yes." Kakashi presses the button. "Our elevator stopped moving and the lights went out."

From the corner of Madara's eye, he can see Obito fumble in his pocket, before shakily pulling out a small bottle of pills. His hands are trembling as he shakes out the anxiolytic, quickly popping it into his mouth and dry swallowing. "Calm yourself, Obito," Madara says, in a low voice. His eyes slide sideways, meeting his. "This is nothing compared to what we've faced before."

_"Okay, we've notified our technicians. They're currently offsite but they will be here shortly."_

"Do you know how long it will take?" Kakashi asks the technician. The speaker crackles.

_"We don't have an ETA for their arrival, but usually a couple hours, including repairs."_

Obito swallows, trying to steady his breathing. The walls around him seem to be dark and shrinking.

"I'm sorry, did you say 'a couple hours'?" Kakashi says.

_"Yes, a couple hours, unfortunately."_

Obito can't breathe. His throat is constricting. He hunches over himself, sinking onto the floor, his breaths sharp and shallow and his heart beating rapidly.

"Obito?" Kakashi rushes over. "Obito, are you okay?" He runs back over to the intercom. "Hello? Hello can you hear me? My friend is having a medical emergency--"

Rocks. A thousand rocks, crashing on top of him. The feeling of helplessness. He can't move. He can't breathe--

"Obito!" Madara says, sharply, and Obito's head snaps up, jolted by the sound of Madara's voice. It's as if he's in a deep, dark pit, where above him is a sliver of light, a coin-shaped opening where he can barely see Madara's head peeking in.

"Obito, listen to me. Think of the world that we trained in. The genjutsu world of endless white space. Think of that world. What would be in it?"

"I-I can't..."

"Focus!" Madara snaps.

"Gray skies." Obito swallows, then takes a breath. "Rin."

"And what would she be doing?"

Obito imagines it. Rin in her summer dress. The wind rising. Storm clouds rolling while she holds her skirt down and laughs.

Obito's eyes lose focus. Madara snaps his fingers. "I asked you a question. What would she be doing."

"Standing in the grass, in the wind outside."

"I cannot see this scene you're describing me, what else."

"Storm clouds," Obito says, and he can see the image with his words. "Cold air, the treetops moving outside."

"Excellent," Madara says, and Kakashi watches, awestruck as Madara crouches in front of Obito, staring into his eyes. "She is the reason you've done this all for, is she not?"

In the darkness of the pit, Madara reaches out hand. Obito reaches upward and clasps it.

Madara rises. "Have you calmed yourself?"

Obito nods, taking a breath. "Thank you," he says. Madara sniffs.

"Do not thank me," Madara says. He crosses his arms. "If my idiot apprentice were to shit himself, the two of us would be in even worse of a time."

"Tch." Obito stands and glares.

*****

"Obito, what was that?" Kakashi asks, after they're finally rescued from the elevator. Obito shakes his head.

"When he trained me, I used to get panic attacks," Obito says. His eyes flick upwards. "He would bring me into a genjutsu world completely made of white to calm me. He used to ask me to tell him what I wanted the world to be, and as I'd speak, he'd make it reality."

Kakashi nods, silently. Obito lowers his eyes.

*****

Madara is uncharacteristically silent about the whole ordeal, noting only that he wasn't impressed by civilian technology and that anyone who relied on it was stupid and pathetic.

"Madara," Kakashi says, and Madara turns. "Why haven't you said anything?"

"About what?" Madara says. Kakashi gestures.

"The elevator," Kakashi says. Madara's eyes narrow.

"There is nothing to talk about." He unhooks his battle fan, setting it down with his pack. "Only ignorant fools would confuse trauma for weakness. A true shinobi would have experience with it."

"Daddy!" Kakashi turns and sees Hashi and her children, the little girl running toward him. "How was your meeting, Daddy?"

"Very pointless and very stupid," Madara says. He takes the baby from Hashi and holds his daughter by the hand.


	46. Elevator, part 2

"Does anyone have a watch in this sorry place, or must we guestimate the time?"

They're all sitting on the floor of the elevator, Obito with his elbows on his knees while Madara idly twirls his battle fan. Funnily enough, the civilians didn't recognize it as a weapon, so when Madara breezily told them it was ceremonial they believed him.

Kakashi holds out his watch. "It's been an hour and a half, now."

"Ah, excellent," Madara says. "Clearly your subordinate is more well-prepared. You would do well to learn from him, Obito."

Obito glares at him. "Obviously we wouldn't be in this mess had you not agreed to take that synaptic dampener."

Madara shrugs. "I just assumed the assassination attempt would be more interesting this way."

"Assassination attempt?" Obito and Kakashi stare. Madara stretches, eyes closing luxuriously

"Clearly, if one wanted to kill the Hokage of the Hidden Village of the Leaf, the best way would be to isolate him from his companions, deprive him of his weapons, and take away his ability to weave chakra." Madara's eyes open. "I just thought weathering an assassination attempt without our usual abilities would be interesting."

Obito balks. "Wait, you suspected this was a trap - and you willingly led us in?!"

"You are the Hokage." Madara sniffs. "You could have overruled me at any time if you wanted to."

"Why would you do that?!" Obito says. Madara shrugs.

"I thought fighting a civilian assassin on their level would be interesting." His eyes glitter. "It has been awhile since I've been challenged. Other than Hashirama, I've yet to meet a worthy opponent. The thought of it makes my war blood boil."

Obito throws an incredulous look at Kakashi, who's reading an ero novel he had snuck in his pack. "Kakashi are you hearing this?" Obito says.

Kakashi turns a page. "No one's attacked us yet," Kakashi says. Madara frowns.

"What are you reading?" Madara says. Kakashi doesn't look up.

"It's an ero novel. Do you want to see?"

He hands the book to Madara, whose eyes widen.

"What sort of trash am I reading?" Madara says.

"Oh, this is the best part," Kakashi says. "The damsel has awoken to find she's surrounded by seven princes, and--"

Kakashi stops. His eyes grow vacant, rolling back behind his head.

"Kakashi?" Obito sits up as Kakashi wobbles, then crumples onto the floor. "Kakashi!"

"He is fine." Madara flips through the novel. He looks up and Obito can see his Sharingan is activated. "The genjutsu worked. It seems my visual prowess is returning."

"You can use your Sharingan?" Obito looks around. Madara sniffs.

"Can you not activate it?" Madara says.

"No, of course not, my chakra's dampened, I couldn't mold it if my life depended on it."

"Lucky for you, you are in the company of Uchiha Madara." And Madara closes his eyes, opening them to show his Mangekyou. "Rest well, my idiot pupil. Soon we will be making our escape."

"Wait, what are you doing?" Obito says, standing. He sees Madara start to activate his Susanoo, blue chakra flaring around his body.

"Wait! You can't do that! If you activate your Susanoo you'll destroy this building!"

"Your point being?" Madara says.

"There are people here. You could kill them."

"And?" Madara says. Obito glares.


	47. Elevator, part 3

"How many euphemisms for the female orifice are there?" Madara says. He flips through Kakashi's book, Sharingan spinning as he turns the pages. "Hm. I don't even know why I asked you that question. Considering up until recently, you've had no intimate experience with other women."

Obito doesn't take the bait, which disappoints him. Madara leans back against the elevator, relaxing. He stretches and puts his feet up on Kakashi's head like a foot rest. "I know well enough that you had been celibate, and before that, you were an innocent child, so clearly going into this, you were still a virgin," Madara says, pleasantly. "Which is not anything to be ashamed of, mind, but it is unusual. Suffice it to say, it is admirable how much you dedicated yourself to the cause."

Obito is still looking at the elevator buttons, ignoring him. Madara leans forward.

"You did finally do the deed, I'm assuming? Or perhaps you are waiting until you're formally married? Well. I suppose if you've waited this long, it shouldn't matter that much. Of course, I am assuming everything is in working order. I cannot remember just how much of your body was crushed...."

Kakashi groans under Madara's foot. Madara frowns and kicks him in the head again.

"Can you not kick him?" Obito says.

"Why? He will not remember."

Obito makes a frustrated sound.

"There must be some way for you to share your chakra with me," Obito says. He gets up and paces, pressing his hands along the panels of the elevator, as if there were some secret button that could get them out. "If you could lend me your chakra, I could activate my Kamui and get us out of here."

Madara flips a page. "Once again, you are letting yourself be ruled by fear. You should enjoy yourself. Read this terrible novel. Revel in the momentary peace before the inevitable assassination."

"There won't be an assassination attempt." Obito bangs on the door. "Their shitty civilian technology is what's keeping us here. Besides, they'd have nothing to gain if they killed me. We're the ones with nothing to bring to the table."

"Listen here, my dimwitted disciple, there is always something you cannot anticipate." Madara flips a page. "'Expect the unexpected,' as it were. You were the one fond of excess plans, were you not?"

Silence. Obito paces around the elevator while Madara reads.

A sound. Madara and Obito turn.

"What was that?" Obito says. Madara lowers his book.

"I sense the heat signature of someone approaching." Madara's Sharingan glitters. He stands up slowly, crouching in a defensive position.

There's the sound of metal scraping on metal, the sound of footsteps stepping inside--

Madara lunges, slams the intruder against the elevator panel. Another man comes running and Madara grabs him and flips him hard against the floor. It's only then he realizes Obito is yelling.

"You fucking idiot!" Obito says. "They're the fucking repairmen!"

"What?" Madara says. He looks down. Two civilians in overalls are groaning loudly.

Madara frowns. "Well that was unexpected," Madara says.


	48. Elevator, part 4

"Okay, we can still salvage this," Obito says.

He's kneeling next to the unconscious repairmen, hefting one man onto his back and checking his wounds. Madara stands towering above them, arms crossed and a smug expression on his face. "Okay," Obito says. "All we need to do is heal their wounds and genjutsu them so they don't remember the last ten minutes. We'll have to replace their memories with a false one. How is your medical ninjutsu?"

Madara sniffs. "You are asking me, Uchiha Madara, if I do not have mastery over something?"

"I'm asking you because I can't mold chakra yet and Kakashi's unconscious, you're the only one who can do this," Obito says.

Madara smirks. "Of course I can," Madara says.

"Oh, good--"

"But I fail to see why I have to."

"Because they need to fix the fucking elevator," Obito says. Madara sniffs loftily.

"How do we know they were not assassins?"

Obito spreads his hands. "Would assassins be this incompetent?"

"Certainly he is," Madara nods over to Kakashi, "and he is a trained shinobi. Isn't he one of the best in your village?"

"Fine, whatever. Can you heal them, please."

Madara's eyes narrow. "It does not suit my purposes."

"You can't do medical ninjutsu, can you?"

"How dare you," Madara says. "I kept myself alive for centuries healing myself with only the Gedou statue's chakra. I survived a battle of attrition and a stabbing by Senju Hashirama. I am a survivor of the Warring Clans Era, whose comrades fell all around him and needed medical attention. I am the reason why you are alive, and yet you question me about my medical ninjutsu."

"Then can you please heal them and genjutsu them, so when they wake up they can fix this stupid elevator?"

"What happened to your silver tongue? I was told your powers of persuasion were unmatched," Madara says. Obito huffs.

"Obviously I layered my words with genjutsu, which I can't do since someone made us get a synaptic dampener. Why won't you heal them?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Madara's mouth stretches into a malicious grin. "How often is it that I can spend time with my adorable apprentice?"

They both stare at the unconscious repairmen.

"You don't know medical ninjutsu, do you?"

*****

"Ugh. We still have another meeting and the synaptic dampener hasn't worn off."

Obito and Kakashi huddle over a city map, trying to figure out the best way to get to the other side of the city, while Madara crosses his arms and rolls his eyes. "I just texted Ibiki," Obito says. "He and the other team are already there."

"Should we hail a 'taxi'?" Kakashi says.

"We don't have any money," Obito says.

"We have plenty of ryo," Kakashi says.

"They use yen. And apparently something called a credit card. Maybe we can try exchanging the currency at a bank?"

"Hmm."

"You two pillars of the ninja world realize my Sharingan is intact, correct?" Madara sniffs arrogantly. "Say the word, and I will activate my Susanoo and carry us across the city."

"Don't do that, you'll freak them out." Obito doesn't even look up from his map. Madara scowls.

"They are used to it. Their city was razed by a creature they call 'godzilla' years ago."

*****

They get to the building. There is a set of heavy doors.

"It's not push, it's pull," Kakashi says, as Obito tries to push the door open, realizes he didn't read, then tries pulling. The door is heavy; it barely budges.

"It is stuck," Obito says.

"Let me try," Kakashi says. Kakashi tries to pull the door open. It also doesn't budge.

"Shall I just break it open with my battle fan?" Madara says.

"What? No! And why the hell did you bring that anyway? You're the only one of us wearing full armor, you look ridiculous," Obito says.

Madara shakes his hair magnificently. "You are annoyed because I am the only one of us who came prepared."

"Ugh."

"--not to mention, apparently you are useless unless your Sharingan is active. You cannot even open a single door without the use of your Kamui. How pathetic."

"Obito, look, there's a button," Kakashi says, and they look and see the handicapped square button on the side.

They hit the button. The doors open slowly.

"This is the pinnacle of civilian technology?" Madara says.

******

Kakashi looks at their itinerary. "It says to meet in suite 802, on the eighth floor--"

"I'm taking the stairs," Obito says.


	49. Ero Novel

The bookstore Kakashi likes to visit has a whole section dedicated to ero novels. Oftentimes, he will be the only man perusing the section - housewives will flip through the books furtively, glancing behind their shoulders before flipping to the steamiest parts. Kakashi will do this out in the open.

"I don't understand. Do you come here to pick up other men?" Obito follows Kakashi, frowning as Kakashi makes his way through the shelves and shelves of naughty books. Kakashi scoffs.

"Of course not," Kakashi says. "Besides, most of the customers here are women."

"Hm."

Kakashi can't convince Obito of the merits of his favorite type of books, so Kakashi naturally just chalks it up to a loss and keeps doing what he's always been doing.

*****

He is in the park, strolling around the field with his newest ero novel burning a hole in his satchel. Often in the park, there will be mothers also reading romance novels while their children are playing, who are happy to share with him their favorite titles or their thoughts on the newest book. It's almost an informal book club, although some are rightly wary about the strange masked man asking what they think about the newest "100 Colors" sequel.

Kakashi turns a corner, intending to find a nice shady bench to read, when he sees Uchiha Madara watching his children playing at the park.

Oh, well this is unusual. Madara usually took his children to the shinobi areas, he's never seen Madara out here in civilian territory before. Kakashi strolls over to him and sees the little toddler trying to climb on a small metal duck to ride on, while the baby cruises between playground equipment. Madara himself is reading a book.

An ero book, as it turns out. Kakashi beams.

"That's a very good title!" Kakashi says. Madara looks up.

"Hmph. Of course the Copy Ninja brat would think so, the writing is pedestrian and the chemistry between the heroine and her lover is nonexistent."

"If you don't like it, why are you still reading it?"

"Naturally because I want to see what happens with the plot."

"Ah." Kakashi sits down next to him. Madara turns a page. 

"Are you familiar with the Lord of Illusions series?" Madara is speaking to him. Kakashi glances back, surprised.

"I've seen them, but I'm not much for high fantasy settings."

"The worldbuilding is top-notch and the writing is excellent. I completed all five books in a single week. I would recommend you consider expanding your horizons."

"I'll have to try it," Kakashi says, the surrealness of talking to Uchiha Madara about various bodice rippers not lost on him.

*****

Obito is walking in the park. On the park benches he can see a few mothers reading romance novels while their children are playing. The moms turn their pages, completely absorbed in their books as their kids run around the playground. Obito makes a mental note to mention the title to Kakashi - it seems fairly popular and Kakashi probably would want to read it.

He passes another bench, then sees Madara reading the same title, his children shrieking and throwing sand at each other.

He turns around and walks away before Madara can see him.


	50. Matchmaker

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> imagined one-sided Kakashi/Obito

Kakashi is sitting at the table reading his book when someone slides into the seat in front of him.

"You are in love with my idiot apprentice," Madara says. "Consider it a gift that Uchiha Madara has deigned to help you."

It takes Kakashi a moment to understand what Madara is saying. He squints and leans forward. "You mean Obito?"

"Hmph." Madara leans back, crossing his arms. "It is quite obvious. One does not need the Sharingan to see it."

"Oh, I think there's been a misunderstanding, I don't have feelings for Obito," Kakashi says.

"I too know the pain of an unrequited love." Madara's eyes slide upward. "It seems you and I share a certain sensibility."

Kakashi frowns at him. "Madara-san, I don't know where you got the idea, but I'm not in love with Obito. He's my best friend and he's straight, I'm not in love with him."

"You said that twice and yet you're blushing when you talk about him."

Kakashi scoffs. "I'm not blushing because I'm thinking about him, I'm blushing because this conversation is ridiculous and I'm getting a bit embarrassed." Kakashi has always been very self-aware about his reactions.

Madara sniffs. "Do not lie to me, Hatake Kakashi. I saw it in your memories. You spent years grieving for him. Standing over the shadows of a snow-covered grave, holding his memory close to your heart as you silently mourned him."

Kakashi spreads his hands. "I'm not saying that he's not attractive..."

"There we are," Madara says.

"....but he's marrying Rin, and besides that, he's straight. I don't think that way about him."

"And yet it eats you alive, does it not?" Madara says.

"Not in the slightest," Kakashi says. He sets his book down. "Believe it or not, Madara-san, I'm not harboring some unrequited torch for my best friend. He's like a brother, I'm happy for him."

"But you did, though." Madara's mouth stretches into a smile. "For one brief, glorious moment, you thought to yourself of what could have been."

Kakashi opens his mouth to protest but Madara interrupts him. "I just thought I could offer you support. I realize my apprentice's heart is already taken, but I am sympathetic to your position. I would like to help."

"Help me how?" Kakashi says. It's probably better to let Madara finish than to try to argue against him. Madara leans forward.

"Naturally, you will show me the next attractive male, and I will genjutsu him into going on a 'date' with you."

"Madara-san, I realize standards back in your day may have been different, but mind-control isn't the best way to start a relationship."

"Hm."

"And secondly, I meet men just fine. I'm actually dating someone right now."

Madara raises an eyebrow. "Really, now?"

"Yes. You know that clerk at the bookstore?" Kakashi says. Madara considers.

"Hm. The mousy little man with the glasses, I am aware."

Kakashi crosses his arms. "Well we've been seeing each other for almost a month now."

"Really?" Madara leans back, impressed. "And why have you not introduced your mousy little friend to the rest of us?"

"Because we've only gone out a handful of times, and shinobi generally freak him out."

"Ah."


	51. A New Friend

"He doesn't have any friends. Please be nice to him!" Hashi bows in front of Kakashi, who has a sweatdrop at his temple and is staring at her as if she has two heads. Hashi straightens.

"My husband is really fond of you! He really likes those books you recommended him, all he talks about is how awful unrequited love is and how it's a shame that Obito isn't dating you. Please be nice to him!" Hashi says, and she bows again. "My husband can be a difficult man but he really has the best intentions!"

Kakashi blinks, another sweatdrop forming at his forehead. "Su-sure."


	52. Sakumo (tw: suicide, blood)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Graphic depiction of suicide, suicidal ideation, blood, gore, body horror, self-harm

When Kakashi's father had killed himself, he had used a small knife to cut into the artery of his neck, and the arterial spray of blood was so powerful that it had reached all the way across the room. The walls were covered and the rice paper doors had to be replaced, but although the blood had soaked into the blankets and the fabric of the futon, the wooden floor was relatively spared. The wall, however, was a different matter, and the streaks of blood had coagulated into a thick paste, dripping down the surface like a rusty tar and pooling around the area where Sakumo had fallen. Strangely, it reminded Kakashi of how a wet dog shook his fur: even the photograph of his mother had gotten a spot of blood on it, which was all the way on the other side of the room.

Kakashi at first didn't know what happened. He stood in front of his father's body, watching the blood pooling around him, and wondered who had snuck in and killed him. It was raining outside and even now Kakashi remembers the flash of lightning, which suddenly illuminated his father's body stark and bright, before flashing back to the shadows again.

There was a banging on the door.

"Sakumo?!" Kakashi opened the door to their next door neighbor, an elderly woman his father often helped take out the trash. The neighbor saw Kakashi and the spot of blood on his mask, and she fell to her knees, her arms dropping onto his small shoulders.

"Child," the neighbor said. "Is your father--"

"My father killed himself."

The neighbor's face was drawn.

The neighbor and her husband came to the house, the old woman ushering Kakashi to the kitchen. She set down the note that his father had left at her front door, and furtively Kakashi tugged the paper to peek at it.

_Please check on my son. I will be leaving him tonight.  
I do not want him to be alone._

Apparently the last thing his father did was slip an envelope with the note inside beneath their neighbor's door.

"Have the police come here yet?" the old man asked. The old woman shook her head.

"Not yet, I've already called."

"Kakashi-kun, would you like to come to my house?" the old woman said. "My son bought us a crate of sweet pears. Would you like to try some?"

"No thank you." Kakashi's eyes traced a line from the doorway to the foot of the stairs, where he could hear the old man and the other neighbors talking.

"Who will clean up the blood?" Kakashi asked, after they removed his father's body. The neighbor woman's mouth set in a thin, tight line. "The house is a mess. Father said mother wouldn't like it."

"We will take care of the blood later," the neighbor said, but Kakashi shook his head.

"We need to clean up the mess," Kakashi said, and he walked determinedly back into the bedroom, stepping around the streaks of blood, which was covered by a thin bedsheet, and started filling up buckets with lukewarm water.

The neighbor helped him, probably realizing Kakashi needed something to do to distract him. Kakashi worked, eyes fixed on a neutral spot on the wall, as he scrubbed: rust colored water dribbled down the sopping wet cloth and down the skin of his arms, making it look as though he too had injured himself. Beside him, the neighbor woman worked grimly, wiping her wet hands against the fabric of her kimono, before scrubbing again.

They cleaned the walls. They dropped dirty rags into the bucket of rusty water, then bent over to roll the bloody beddings together, folding the futon and pushing the bloody sheets into a messy heap. "You're a very big help, Kakashi," the neighbor woman said, and Kakashi nodded, gravely.

"Shinobi rule number 345 is to always maintain order and cleanliness after disposing a comrade's body."

The neighbor smiled sadly at him.

*****

In the weeks leading up to his father's death, his father had withdrawn visibly. Kakashi watched as dark circles formed under his father's eyes, his movements jerky with a strange energy. His father started giving away his things, started asking Kakashi strange questions, like what he would do if his father were gone.

"I will be fine," Kakashi had told him, and evidently his father believed him.

Obito was acting erratic. The war was over; those that were resurrected were slowly groping their way back into village society. The two perpetrators of the war were still alive, but Madara was comatose. Obito was in a state of limbo, the kage of other villages demanding his execution.

"They should do it," Obito had said, quietly, and Kakashi watched Obito's eyes dim when the judge ruled that he should live.

Obito didn't eat. He didn't sleep. His movements were jittery with a nervous energy.

"Obito." Kakashi watched as Obito absently tapped the dull edge of a blade across the pulse point of his wrist. "What are you doing?"

Obito blinked, as if catching himself. "Nothing," Obito said.

That night, Kakashi marched over to Obito's sad little apartment, a duffel bag over his shoulder, and banged loudly against the front door.

"Kakashi?"

Kakashi pushed inside, shoving the duffel bag against Obito's chest. "I'm coming in."

"I can see that. What are you doing?"

Kakashi flipped on the lights. "I'm making sure you don't kill yourself."

Obito scoffed. "And what makes you think I'd do something like that?"

"Because you're acting the same way as my dad," Kakashi said. He glanced around the spartan apartment, which was completely empty except for a small used table and a futon tossed carelessly in the corner.


	53. Pistol (tw: suicide mention)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Suicide mention, description of suicide attempt, self-harm, handguns, firing at a shooting range

The last time Kakashi had seen Obito's apartment, he had been on suicide watch.

"Yo," Kakashi said. It was a few days after the war, and Kakashi was checking up on him again. Obito scowled and tried closing the door, but Kakashi blocked it from closing. He held up a paper bag. "I got a new Ero book I thought you might like."

Obito sighed. "Kakashi, I appreciate what you're trying to do, but--"

"But Tsunade charged me and Sensei to watch over you, so I'm here to make sure you don't do anything stupid." Kakashi muscled his way through the door. Obito frowned.

"I have no intention of doing anything to this village," Obito said.

"I'm not talking about the village." They both looked at the bandage around Obito's wrist, a half-hearted attempt at killing himself with the edge of a kunai, except his healing ability was too great, he'd heal up before he could finish anything. The bandage was just a reminder not to try again.

"Fine," Obito said, and Kakashi walked inside.

Obito's apartment was empty: other than a few change of clothes, Obito had nothing. No photographs, no decorations. Not even proper furniture, just a beat-up short-legged table and a futon tossed carelessly on the floor. "How long exactly are you going to stay here?" Obito had asked him, irritated, and Kakashi lounged luxuriously on the bare floor, his foot kicking an empty cardboard cup of instant ramen.

"I'll leave as soon as you see a doctor. Are you seeing a doctor?"

"No."

"Then I guess it looks like I'll be staying."

Three weeks of this, of Kakashi hounding Obito like a persistent ghost, loudly complaining about the lack of amenities, the fact that Obito was living like some sort of monk, and was he seriously wearing that black Tobi outfit again? He really needed to get another change of clothes!

"Fine, alright, I'll go see a doctor!" Obito said, and Kakashi preened as his old friend finally admitted defeat.

He visits Obito's apartment now, and notices a few more odds and ends that Obito's collected since then: a few photographs, a little plant sitting at the corner by the wall. Little touches that he could only assume was because of Rin. "You got a new table," Kakashi says. He looks over at the brand-new kotatsu sitting at the center of the livingroom, the electric brazier radiating beneath the blankets with a cheerful warmth.

Obito blushes. "Rin kept saying the floor was cold."

"Where is Rin, anyway?" Kakashi holds his beer, looking around. Obito sits next to him.

"She's studying," Obito says. "Sakura-chan offered to tutor her, so she went over to borrow some notes."

Kakashi rubs his head. "Civilian tech really seems to be taking over, huh?"

"That's just the way it is with progress. As shinobi, we've been isolated too long. Did you know the civilians created weapons that can discharge projectiles at long distance? They're called 'guns' and they can pierce through our armor. I'm told to get shot at is similar to being hit with a concentrated bijou bomb."

"Really?" Kakashi says, sitting forward. Obito nods.

"Look at this," Obito says, and he pulls out a folder, showing him. "This is a weapon based on nuclear fission. They've figured out how to manipulate chakra, but it's very crude. The destructive force is deadly and the blast radius covers a wide range."

"They manipulate chakra by using different metals?" Kakashi pulls the sheet of paper across the table, to take a better look. Obito nods.

"This one uses uranium," Obito says. Kakashi pushes back the folder.

"Obito. Is this why you're so hellbent on integrating their technology? So that we can match their weapons?"

Obito nods. "Ninjas aren't bulletproof," Obito says. "Unless the user has high-level techniques like the Susanoo, these weapons would just tear right through you. My hope is, if we have access to them, we can develop techniques to counter them."

"Did Amegakure have access to these types of weapons?"

"A few," Obito says. "Rudimentary machine guns and the like. Nothing like what I've seen now."

Kakashi leans back, crossing his arms. "You're probably going to get a lot of pushback from the council elders," Kakashi says.

"I'm fully expecting it," Obito says. He rises. "Let me show you something," he says, and he motions for Kakashi to follow.

*****

They're standing at the training grounds. It's dusk; no one is there, Obito made sure of it. Silently he pulls out a slim, black handgun and expertly loads the magazine, the metal clicking into place. "You're going to want to cover your ears," Obito says.

"What the--" Kakashi's eyes widen as Obito aims and shoots several holes at the goalpost in front of them, ducking and throwing his hands over his ears.

"What the hell was that?" Kakashi says. Obito ejects the empty magazine.

"That was just a civilian gun," Obito says.

Kakashi walks over to the goalpost, tentatively touching a hand to the charred bullet holes littering the wood. "Civilians have this kind of power?"

"That and more," Obito says. "I'm even afraid of trying it out against the Susanoo - there's a chance it may penetrate and kill whoever is the user."


	54. Nightmares

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Intrusive thoughts, blood, PTSD, violence

He's walking at the bottom of a rocky basin, old rain puddles from the downpour before squelching in his shoes with each footstep. The sky is black. All around him, there is nothing but looming shadows.

For some reason, he breaks into a run. The darkness is like a tunnel and the faster he runs, the quicker he can get into the light. He can't teleport out of here and he doesn't know why.

"Rin."

She turns. Standing at the mouth of a cave, her hair moving with the wind around her face.

And for some reason, chakra building up, burning down his arm like a knife around his hand.

An explosion of movement, a powerful punching-through-something, his hand shoving through her body. Obito's eyes widen, horrified, as Rin looks up at him, eyes wide and guppy breathing. Warm blood from her torso drips down his arm while another thin trickle drips down her mouth.

"Rin? Rin!"

"O-Obito..."

"Rin!"

_"OBITO!"_

Obito wakes with a start, pushing upright in bed, the sheets tangling around his torso while Rin is shaking him. He's breathing hard, as if he's having an asthma attack.

"It's okay, it's okay, you're with me, you're okay. Here, here," she says, and she pulls him into her arms. "You were just having a nightmare, it's okay."

It takes a moment to register, but Rin feels warm. Her small body fits against his. He drops his head onto her shoulder and squeezes her tight.

"I dreamt I killed you," Obito says. He feels her hug him tighter.

A moment passes, and his heartbeat slows to a manageable rhythm. Rin sits next to him and rubs his back. He reaches a shaky hand to his eyes, trying to calm himself.

"Do you want to show me?" Rin says, and Obito looks up at her, searching her eyes.

The genjutsu is quick. Like all dreams, the scene from before plays out in mere seconds, and Rin's eyes open as the dream comes to an end.

"It was like a chidori was around my arm, like I was Kakashi," Rin says, because it was a genjutsu and she had taken Obito's point-of-view; instead of him killing Rin, she was the one who killed him. "Ugh, that was horrible. Are you feeling better?"

"Yeah." He nods, taking a breath. "I don't think I can sleep right now, though."

"Do you want to get up?" Rin says, but Obito shakes his head.

"Can I hold you?"

"Yeah, of course."

They settle back into bed. Obito curls his body around hers, hugging her as if he's afraid he'll lose her. Rin shifts, then rolls around so that she's facing him, wrapping her arms around his torso.

******

"You look like shit," Kakashi says.

Obito had used his Kamui to teleport to the Hokage office, oversleeping through his alarm and realizing he had a series of meetings that were taking place in exactly ten minutes. Shirt, pants. He sprang into action, lurching into the bathroom to brush his teeth and quickly take his medication, before careening back to the bedroom where Rin was sitting in the middle of the bed, sleepy and confused.

Obito glances at his papers. "I overslept."

"You look like you got run over by a dump truck. What happened?"

Obito sighs. "Bad dream." He shuffles his papers. "I'll tell you about it later."

They go and walk into the meeting.

*****

"For the record, my chidori doesn't burn like that," Kakashi says.

Obito's shown him the dream, and like all genjutsus, Kakashi had taken Obito's point-of-view. But Kakashi is unimpressed. Covering his mouth, he lowers his mask and takes a sip of one of those fancy civilian lattes the civilian representative had brought, a token of goodwill to kickstart the meetings. Obito frowns.

"You know, by all rights, you should be having the same nightmares as me," Obito says. He crosses his arms. "How is it that you don't?"

Kakashi shrugs. "I read ero novels and visited your grave."

"Your dad killed himself," Obito says, and he immediately regrets it. "Sorry," he starts, but Kakashi holds up a hand, shaking his head.

"It's fine," Kakashi says. "I don't know why it doesn't affect me. It bothers me if I think about it, but I talked to my dad in the afterlife, just like you spoke to Rin. And Rin's alive now, so everything's fine."

"Even before?" Obito says. Kakashi shrugs.

*****

"I think it's because Kakashi had friends," Rin says. She's sitting next to Obito now; it's evening and Obito has just gotten back. "You were alone. You had no one to talk to. Kakashi had Gai and Asuma and Kurenai."

"I hate it," Obito says. He folds his hands in his lap. "It makes me feel weak."

Rin doesn't say anything, just runs her hand up and down his back, a gentle, soothing motion. "You know that's not true, right?" She speaks quietly. Her hand splays warmly against his back.

"Yeah. But I still hate it." He leans against her and sighs.


	55. Comfort (mature)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> non-explicit PIV sex

"You do not understand the stakes, Hashirama. The doubt. The soul-crushing loneliness of an unrequited love. The fool has deluded himself to think that he is fine, but deep in his heart, he is not."

Hashi is sitting on the bed, her bare legs curled under her side as she flips through Madara's ero book. Madara is on the other side, climbing beneath the covers. "He said he was dating someone else, though," Hashi says. She flips to a particularly juicy passage in the book, then rolls over to show Madara. "Oof, they're having sex with her back up against a tree. That sounds uncomfortable."

"Well obviously there is an element of fantasy to that," Madara says. Hashi flips through the book, frowning.

"Yeah, but I don't get how people can writing having sex standing up like it's nothing when in real life it's a pain."

"Just because you are unable to do so, does not mean others cannot," Madara says. Hashi leans against him.

"Well, technically, you're the one who's supposed to be holding me up while pushing me against the wall, so--"

"Quiet," Madara says, and Hashi grins, nuzzling his neck.

"I think it's sweet that you're worried about him," Hashi says. She cuddles against him. "Kakashi seems like a nice man. I'm glad you're looking out for him."

"Naturally," Madara says. He switches off the light. "In the daylight, he acts as if he doesn't care, but in the nighttime, there is only loneliness and despair."

"Oh?" Hashi starts mouthing his neck. She presses small kisses along his nape and the side of his throat, her fingertips caressing his stomach over his shirt. Madara sighs.

"If I didn't know you any better, I would assume hearing about the misfortune of others is what's driving you."

"Mm." Hashi crawls onto his lap. "You're not talking about others, you're talking about yourself."

"What?"

Hashi grins, kissing him. "How sad you were. How lonely you were without me."

Madara glares. "Quiet."

Hashi presses her lips behind his ear. "Hearing how sad you were makes me horny. I want to comfort you with my vagina," and she giggles. Madara jerks his head up, glaring. "I want to take you into my 'sweet embrace' and, what is it? Sink myself onto your most private member."

Madara glares harder. "You are making fun of the books I am reading."

"No no, I think they're erotic and sexy, we could be making love by standing up and you nearly dropping me--"

"Dammit."

"Tell me again how sad you were," Hashi says, and she starts massaging him. "That way we can ~make love~ and you won't feel all sad and lonely."

Madara sighs. "You jest, but there is truth to that," Madara says, and he plucks her hand from his lap. He lies on his side, pulling her to his chest. "You may think light of it, Hashirama, but I am an Uchiha. We love deeply and absolutely. The pain of that not being reciprocated is unbearable."

Hashi touches his face, then tilts her head upward to kiss him. She wraps her arms around him and hugs him.

"Anata?"

"Hm?"

"...Do you want me to comfort you with my vagina?"

"Will you stop saying that?" Madara says, and Hashi laughs again, kissing him and rolling him onto his back.

"Sorry, sorry, I love you," she says, and their eyes catch. He tilts his head toward hers and they kiss again.

The room is quiet, except for the sound of the mattress squeaking and their soft, pleasured breathing. Madara's face is buried against Hashi's neck as he thrusts deep and hard, making her sigh and gasp. He pulses hard, breathing raggedly against her neck, as she rests a hand on his head.

"...If you are going to ask me if you comforted me with your vagina, I will be very displeased."

"So that's a yes?" She strokes his face tenderly.

He sighs. "You are idiotic," he tells her, but he presses a soft kiss against her lips. "...yes."


	56. Comfort, part 2

_"'Oh my darling!' she cried. 'The sadness that consumes you. If I could but comfort you with love's deep embrace!' Passions aflame, he let out a piteous cry, then plunged his hardened staff deep into her womanly hole."_

Hashi shows Madara the passage and giggles. Madara glares.

"Shut up."


	57. Neighborhood War

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Descriptions of war, artillery, military movement, bombings  
> I use the term "civilian" to mean "non-shinobi," not actual civilians :)

"Hokage-sama! Hokage-sama!"

"What is it?" Obito says. The sentry rushes into the office, breathless.

"There are explosions going off at the forest periphery."

"What?" Obito stands.

He walks quickly to the viewing station, where the Yamanaka team is surveying the perimeter. Arms out, a huge bubble of chakra hangs, the helmet attached to a Yamanaka chuunin's head. A sweatdrop forms on his temple.

"What do you see?" Obito says, leaning beside him. The Yamanaka swallows.

"There are metal boxes razing the forest." The Yamanaka's eyes dart nervously. "There are explosions. I don't understand what's going on--"

"Can you show me?" Obito says. His Sharingan turns.

He sees explosions. A civilian artillery. Ground troops. A military incursion.

"The civilians are attacking." Obito straightens. "Why?"

The other shinobi around him are at a loss. Obito turns back to the Yamanaka. "Have they located the village yet?"

"No, the village remains hidden."

"See to it that it remains that way." Obito swiftly turns, his Kamui flaring as he teleports out.

*****

"Eh? You want me to trap them with my trees?" Hashi looks out at the groundswell of troops invading the forest. "Won't they just blow them up, though?"

"Don't be an idiot. Your chakra would be enough to withstand them," Madara says. Hashi scratches her head.

"Yeah, but they don't even know we're here. They don't know we're watching them. Right now all they're doing is blowing up a bunch of trees."

They've assembled to the outskirts of the forest, Hashi and Madara and a small contingency of nin. ANBU nin crouch among the trees, monitoring the situation, while teams of jounin wait nervously, chakra dampened, stationed for a possible counteroffensive. Madara scowls.

"We should just kill them," Madara says. "I have no idea what my idiot apprentice is thinking. There is no reason why we cannot neutralize the threat right now."

"Madara-sama, we cannot let them know our position. We were instructed to watch and wait."

"They are floundering," Madara says. "Behold. They are shooting in the wrong direction."

There's a rush of wind, the swirl of the Kamui, and Obito steps out.

"Stand down," Obito says. "They're not targeting us."

"What?"

"Hokage-sama?"

Obito shakes his head. "There's another civilian faction they're targeting. That they've made headway into Fire Country is a coincidence. In other words, they're waging war at our doorstep," Obito says. "We have nothing to do with it."

The group of nin watch. There's the patter of machine guns, civilians shouting and running. Obito frowns. "They're not even the group we were negotiating with."

"Should we notify the Daimyo?"

"Apparently the Daimyo is already aware of it."

The other nin look at each other uneasily. Madara huffs.

"Can we not just kill them?" Madara says.

"Anata!" Hashi says. Madara spreads his hand.

"I say we kill them, then genjutsu the survivors to think the other side did it."

There's another explosion. The other nin frown as a rain of small pebbles fall around them.

"Monitor the situation," Obito says to the ANBU captain. "I have a feeling they'll withdraw soon enough."

*****

Madara is irritated. He decides to neutralize the threat.

Somewhere, within both civilian factions, there is grainy security footage of two warehouses, a sudden flash of light, and then the flare of Madara's Susanoo crashing down upon their storage facility, a group of freaked-out security guards scattering and ducking for cover.


	58. Yakuza

The council has brokered a meeting with another civilian faction. "They are willing to pay top dollar for our protection," the council elders say, smug in their convictions. "While you've been dithering on your end, we found a civilian group who is actively requesting our services."

It seems too good to be true. Obito and his team meets them at the designated area - a nondescript building, another skyscraper, but at Obito's request they meet in the lower level.

Obito looks. There are men in black suits and sunglasses standing outside the doors; from the folds of their clothes, he can see at least two concealed weapons holstered beneath their jackets. Another man stands with his arms crossed, obviously muscle, meant for intimidation. He can see the outlines of tattoos just beneath the man's sleeves.

"That's strange; I thought civilians didn't carry weapons," Kakashi says. Obito leans forward.

"I don't think these are normal civilians," Obito says. They reach the entryway of the conference room, which is outfitted with a metal detector.

*****

"You set us up with a meeting with the Yakuza?!" Obito stares at the council, who seem nonplussed.

"They were offering almost triple our escorting rates," the elders say. "Apparently they have trouble with their trade routes. They ask that we guard their shipments."

"Those trade routes are for drug and human trafficking, the 'trouble' they have are from civilian authorities. I've dealt with them before as leader of the Akatsuki."

The elders blink. "We were told they are a highly esteemed organization."

"They lied," Obito says.

The elders frown at each other.

******

"Hokage-sama, we have a request from the leaders of a civilian government requesting help to carry out various extrajudicial assassinations. Should we perhaps--"

"No."

"Well this one here is a request for help instigating a coup--"

"No."

"Should we revisit the Yakuza again?"

"NO."


	59. Yakuza, part 2

"I do not understand why you're objecting to them," Madara says, once again having broken into Obito's office for no explicable reason except just to bother him. "They have offered to trade weapons and ammunition in exchange for a few piddly escort missions. Evidently they are vying for territory and are surrounded by enemies. They are willing to provide us access to their technology in exchange for protection."

"They're Yakuza," Obito says.

"And?"

"And they're criminals, we can't help them," Obito says.

Madara spreads his hands. "I have never known you to have qualms about another group's so-called criminality."

"Tch."


	60. Intimate (explicit)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Explicit sexual content; vaginal fingering, cunnilingus, PIV sex

He's kissing the side of her neck.

It's dark in the room, and Rin can't see him except for the vague, dark outline of his body as he moves. His mouth drags along the side of her throat while his fingers ghost over the bumps of her breasts. She feels his thumb swipe over one pebbled nipple before gently rolling it between his fingers, the pad of his thumb rubbing the tip of her nipple as he sucks on her pulse point. Rin sighs, feels his hand slipping from her breast to between her legs, her nipples suddenly cold and bereft from where he had been touching them. He shifts, his left hand taking over where his right had been, just as the pad of his middle finger slides just above her clit.

Rin jerks and gasps, and she feels his lips brushing against her neck, his fingers briefly dipping inside her before rolling over her nub. The lubrication makes everything feel more intense, and as he lowers himself, this time running his mouth over the line of her clavicle, she feels him stroke her nub in repeated slow circles, the pleasure making her gasp and tense beneath him.

She's breathing heavier now, her breasts are heaving. Her nipples twang in the cold air, and she lets out a sharp gasp as she feels his lips close over one nipple, his tongue softly licking the tip as his fingers keep stroking her, pressing a little firmer, a little faster. His fingers slip inside, his thumb on her clit as he fingers her, making her breathe raggedly as she rocks her hips in urgent cants against his hand.

He kisses her nipples, one after the other, his thumb rubbing her nub, fingers dipping inside and out, sliding upward and smearing her wetness across her clit. She jerks and gasps, the pleasure layering, her body tense and close to orgasm, when he lowers himself, spreading her legs and dipping low to swipe his tongue over her nub.

She shrieks, but he grasps her hip and keeps her anchored, licking her softly, tongue stroking up and down her nub, making her jerk and twitch with the sensation. Her hips rock against his mouth as soft, desperate noises spill out from her throat. She points her toes, the muscles of her legs and thighs straining. Her voice see-saws in tight little cries as he gives her one harsh suck, fingers slipping inside her as she gasps, then tumbles into orgasm. Her breasts bounce as her body jerks once, twice, five times, and then again, before she falls backwards onto the bed, gasping for breath.

Her body is loose and pliant, and wordlessly he moves between her legs, the head of his penis stretching her open, before he sinks inside her with one smooth stroke, his thickness rubbing against an engorged, sensitive spot. He starts thrusting immediately, hard and fast, his arms wrapping around her body as Rin cries out and clings to him, legs spread helplessly around his ribs. The feel of his cock sawing in and out of her, rubbing against that sweet spot, makes her sob and gasp. She feels his thrusts grow faster and needy, and she feels him gasping against her neck, driving his hips deep into her pelvis until he exhales sharply and collapses on top of her, pulsing hard and catching his breath. She feels his penis twitching, his heart beating beneath his skin, and she jerks with a sudden pop of pleasure, a small aftershock. He pulses again and she jerks once more, then laughs softly into his neck. Something about feeling him ejaculate inside her feels wonderfully intimate, knowing how good it feels to him to be inside her, and she smiles and kisses him, nuzzling against his neck.

He starts to soften, and they move, Rin grabbing a wad of tissues to staunch the semen from dripping down her legs. He smiles shyly while they clean themselves, and afterwards he curls up against her, spooning her as they ready to sleep.


	61. Tutoring, part 2

"Are you familiar with the chain and sickle?" Obito asks.

He's at the training grounds with Madara's daughter again, showing her the weapon. The little girl shakes her head. "This is an excellent weapon," Obito says. He holds the sickle by the handle. "Hold it here, like so, and it's a short-ranged weapon, like a kanto or short sword. But do this," and he lets the chain slip, then swings it like a lasso, "and it's a ranged weapon. Your enemy cannot come close to you unless he breaches your defenses. Swing, swing, and grab it here by the handle, see? If the enemy comes here you can retract this back and block."

Obito holds out the weapon. "Now you try," he says.

Kakashi is sitting on the bench, watching as Obito and the little girl train. They go through their katas slowly, precisely - swing, swing, block - and the little girl masters it quickly. "Excellent." Obito says. He closes his eyes, then opens them to show his Sharingan. "Now, block me."

Obito explodes, rocketing toward the girl with a wooden sword. He swings toward her, once, twice, which she blocks with the chain. Three times, which she counters. Grabs the sickle by the handle. Block, block, swing. "Use your other weapons," Obito says, and he ducks, narrowly missing the arc of her sickle. One hand, she swings the chain like a lasso while the other reaches for a kunai.

Kakashi's eyes widen. He's no longer watching a child playing with her weapons, he's watching a trained killer meeting Obito's every strike with brute force. Swing, swing, duck, slam. A punch that makes contact, throwing her back, but vaulting up into a return side-kick.

From the corner of Kakashi's eye, a dark shape comes and sits next to him on the bench. It's Madara, who's watching his daughter with something like pride. "Next!" Obito says, and dutifully the little girl pulls out a blindfold, tying it around her eyes.

"Again!"

"Amazing," Kakashi says. He and Madara watch the girl's footwork, how she's able to spin and weave, using a brand new weapon as if she were born with it. Her movements are sharp, precise, blocking and reacting to Obito's every strike. "Your daughter is a sensory nin?"

"Hardly," Madara says. He crosses his arms. "But that is not to say she does not have complete mastery over it, however."

"That's an interesting weapon," Kakashi says, noting Obito's chain and sickle. "Did you train him with that?"

Madara sniffs. "I am well-versed in all weapons," Madara says. "That happens to be the most cumbersome. But it suits his natural talents, so it makes sense he's taken well to it."

"Is that my Daddy?" the little girl says. She pulls off her blindfold. "Daddy!" She runs over to Madara and throws her little arms around him, beaming. "Sensei taught me a new weapon, Daddy!"

"I see," Madara says. There's a hint of a smile on his lips, and an uncharacteristically gentle expression. He pats his daughter on the head.


	62. Birth Control (angst)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> angst, discussion of fertility

It's late afternoon when Rin goes over to the training grounds. Above her, the sky is dark with storm clouds and the wind is rising with the threat of rain. She's carrying an umbrella along with her medical bag, figuring she may as well meet him in case there is a downpour - he could use the Kamui, of course, but she knew his eyes hurt if he overused his powers too much.

Obito is with the little girl, practicing their katas. Rin stands at the edge of the gated fence and watches as the girl goes through her forms. Her movements are exact, precise, but she moves with a fluid motion that seems almost otherworldly. Obito tosses a few dummy shuriken at her - rubber practice stars with dull edges and blunted tips - and the girl whirls like a wavecap on a slipstream of motion, and it's only until the rubber stars fall around her that Rin realizes she's blindfolded.

"Obito?" Rin opens the gate and walks toward them. Obito looks up. His face brightens.

"Rin."

Rin shows him the umbrella. "It looked like it was going to rain," Rin says. She smiles at the little girl. "Long time no see," she says to her, smiling. The little girl beams.

"Oneesan!" the little girl pulls off her blindfold, beaming. "Are you Sensei's girlfriend now, Oneesan?"

"I am Sensei's girlfriend now, yes." Rin bites back a laugh and glances at Obito, who smiles and blushes. She turns back to the girl.

"Is it okay if we walk you home?" Rin asks. The girl jumps up.

"Yeah! Can I hold the umbrella? I can hold it really tall!" And the girl grabs the umbrella and holds her arm straight up, showing her.

They walk behind the little girl, who skips and runs and jumps into puddles, swinging the umbrella around as she walks.

"You're good with her," Rin says, after they've gotten back. Obito is putting a dish in the sink; he glances behind his shoulder and smiles. "Ne," Rin says, and she sits down on the couch. "There's something I've been thinking about."

"What is it?" Obito asks. He sits next to her. Rin tucks a strand of hair behind her ear.

"What do you think about me coming off the birth control?"

Obito hesitates. He lowers his eyes. "Why are you thinking about that?" he asks quietly.

"I mean, you said it yourself, I'm almost 35. If we're going to have children it'll just be harder going forward." Rin studies him. "Do you want to have children, Obito?"

"I don't know." An honest answer. He takes her hand into his, not looking at her. "If none of this ever happened...if we never got caught in that cave and we were together normally...there wouldn't be anything more in the world I'd want than to have a family with you."

Rin's voice is soft. "But?"

"But...I've killed so many, Rin. I hurt people. And yet somehow you're with me and you love me. It's more than I deserve." He runs his thumb over her knuckles, quietly. "I don't know if I could bear the thought of bringing a child into this world. I don't know that I'd be a good father."

Rin lowers her eyes. "I've always wanted children," she says, softly. Obito's eyes are wet. He grips her hand tighter.

There are always relationship incompatibilities. Dealbreakers, reasons to break up that have nothing to do with love. One partner may find a job in a different village and be unable to bridge the distance. Another partner may want children while the other doesn't. The two may love each other, but there's a gulf that can't be bridged. Rin's eyes fill with tears. "Obito--"

"Okay," Obito says. Rin lifts her head.

"W-what?"

"Okay," Obito says. His voice breaks. He swallows. "You were about to break up with me. I don't want that. I'm selfish." A tear slips, and then another. He looks away, wiping his eyes. "I don't want you to leave me."

"Obito I wasn't...I wasn't going to leave you," she says, but they both know for one brief moment, she had considered it.

He squeezes his eyes and she hugs him tight. She pulls him against her chest as he starts to cry and presses a kiss to his temple.

She draws away from him after a moment, wiping his eyes and letting her thumb stroke the side of his cheek. "We don't have to have kids, Obito. I've always wanted them, yes, but I love you. I want to be with you."

"I want kids." His voice is soft. He doesn't look at her. "I just don't know if I deserve it."

Rin nods. She takes a shuddery breath, then nods quickly. "We don't have to decide anything now," she says.

"Rin?"

"Yeah?"

He presses his forehead against hers.

"Let's stop the birth control."


	63. Birth Control, part 2

"Sensei, can I talk to you for a minute?"

Minato turns and sees Obito standing hesitantly outside the courtyard. Minato smiles at him. "Of course, Obito, sure." He motions for Obito to set next to him on the bench. They both look up at the overcast sky, and at the trees moving slightly in the wind.

"We're filing the marriage certificate," Obito says. "Rin doesn't mind not having a ceremony."

Minato waits. He can tell Obito wants to tell him more from the way he's hunched over the bench, his hands folded in his lap, quietly. "She wants to have a baby with me."

Minato lowers his eyes, then nods thoughtfully. "Do you want to?" Minato says.

"I don't know," Obito says. And then, "It scares me."

Minato sees Obito's jaw clench. He can't see Obito's eyes.

"She almost left me." Obito's hands tighten. "She said she wouldn't, that she'd want to stay, but...but not having a child would kill her, and I didn't want to do that to her." He hunches over miserably.

"I'm selfish," Obito says. He stares at the ground, not looking at him. "A better man would just let her go, let her find someone else who would love her and father children with her. Someone like me shouldn't have children, but I don't want to leave her." Obito hunches over, pressing a fist to his eye. "I don't want her to leave."

Minato goes silent. Obito doesn't look at him. He continues. "When I think of what I did to you and your wife, Sensei, and what I almost did to your baby...I just get so ashamed. If something were to happen to Rin, I don't know what I'd do. I can't even imagine the pain I put you through."

Minato shakes his head. "That wasn't you," Minato says

"It was," Obito says. Minato shakes his head again.

"It wasn't," Minato says. "The Obito I know - still know - wanted to protect his comrades. He wanted to be strong for the village. He loved and cared for his teammates. The man who attacked me and Kushina was just someone who took over while you were lost, and drowning."

Obito shakes his head. "I was afraid you'd say that," Obito says, softly. "Sensei, that was me. And if I thought the Moon's Eye were real, I'd do it again in a second. So how is it possible that you forgive me?"

Minato smiles sadly. "You were doing what you thought was right," Minato says. "We all make certain sacrifices. You believed with all your heart that you would make a perfect world. That didn't happen. I'm not naive enough to say that it excuses all your actions, but at least it helps me understand them. It's why I think you deserve forgiveness. Obito, I think you'd make a great father," Minato says. "I've seen how you are with Madara's daughter. You're a good person. I think you'd make a really good dad."

"I wish I could believe you, Sensei," he says, and the rims of his eyes darken, "but it's more than a man like me deserves."

They fall silent, Minato folding his hands in his lap while Obito hunches forward.

****

He's teaching Madara's daughter at the training grounds again, when the little girl chirps, "Sensei! Did you know my Mommy's pregnant again?"

"She is?" Obito says. The little girl nods happily, kicking her feet along the bench.

"I'm gonna have a little sister!" the girl says proudly. "I've always wanted a little sister!"

"I'm sure you have," Obito says. He watches the girl swing her legs happily.

Hashi comes to the training grounds to pick her up, and as the girl runs toward her, Obito can see the slight bump of her belly. Obito wonders how he hadn't noticed before.

"Pregnant again?" Rin says, when Obito tells her. "Oh wow. Hashi-san's gonna have her hands full. Can you imagine? Four kids?"

"I heard Madara wants at least seven." Obito sits and leans against her.

"Ne, Obito?"

"Yeah?"

Rin turns and sets her hands on his knees, looking at him. "I know this whole thing's been bothering you--"

"Rin--"

"No, listen." Rin takes his hands into hers. "I love you. I'm happy being with you. If that means we don't have children, I'm fine with it."

Obito sags in front of her. "You know what I used to imagine?"

"What?" Rin asks. Obito looks up at her.

"If the Moon's Eye plan came to pass," Obito says. "I'd imagine, if we'd ever meet, you'd be with me and marry me, and we'd have a family together and be happy. I suppose I told myself it'd be just enough knowing that you were alive, that realistically, you'd have nothing to do with me. But sometimes I'd imagine what it would be like, telling you all the horrible things I've done, and you telling me you still love me. And even though I'd have all this guilt it would be okay, since everybody would be brought back and the world would be at peace.

"I want you to be happy. If that means having children, I want to have children with you. You deserve to have a family, and I'll try my best to be a good father. Whatever issues I have shouldn't keep you from being happy."

"Are you sure?" she asks. Obito nods and clasps her hands.

"I want you to have my baby."

Rin's face brightens. She throws her arms around him, hugging him.

It feels good to hold her. Silently Obito resolves never to burden her with his guilt or his feelings of inadequacy. All he wants to do is make her happy.


	64. Marriage Certificate

"What are you doing?" Rin asks, as she sees Obito frowning in front of the computer.

Obito sighs. "I'm trying to print out the paperwork for a marriage certificate, but all I keep finding are wedding playlists."

"I don't think it's listed as 'marriage certificate,' though, it's probably listed as a specific form." Rin scoots in front of him, typing on the computer.

Obito stands, letting her sit in the computer chair, while Rin brings up the administrative website and finds the proper category. "Here," she says, and she clicks the PDF. "For the legal co-mingling of assets, form H2-31B." Rin glances up at him. "I don't have any assets."

"Neither do I."

"You have that awesome Hokage cap."

"I hate this cap. It feels like a ton of rocks on my head."

Rin giggles and prints out the form.


	65. Marriage Certificate, part 2

"Wait, we can't file this yet because I'm legally dead?" Rin says.

Obito and Rin stand at the window in front of the government official, a tired-looking Fire Country civil servant who has no idea about the goings-on in the shinobi world. The official sighs, pushes up his glasses, then slides the application back underneath the glass partition.

"I'm sorry. It says here Nohara Rin is deceased, date of death is marked 20 years ago."

Rin takes the papers back numbly. Obito leans toward the glass.

"Is there a way we can correct this? She's obviously not deceased," Obito says.

"You'll have to go to the social security office in the capital," the civil servant says. "Bring your proof of identity card and your birth certificate. If you don't have any of those documents you'll have to apply for them first. Once she's reinstated as a living person you can file this."

"Well that was a bust." Rin folds the application and tucks it into her purse. "How are we going to explain this? 'Actually, I've been dead, but now I'm alive and I'd like to marry the Hokage of our village'? How are we supposed to show proof that I've been alive when I haven't been?"

Obito sighs. "I should have just genjutsu'd them," Obito says. Rin whirls around.

"Eh? You can do that?! Obito! Why didn't you?!"

Obito blinks. "Because...I'm trying to be a good person?"

Rin groans and bangs her head against his shoulder. "Sorry," she says. Obito smiles and pats her on the head.


	66. Marriage Certificate, part 3

"Is this some kind of joke?" the civil servant said.

Madara and Hashi stood in front of the civil servant, watching with increasing bewilderment and anger on Madara's part as the civil servant scoffed at their paperwork. "We take identity theft very seriously here," the civil servant said. "Neither of you were able to provide proof of identification, you don't have birth certificates or personal ID numbers. You two didn't even bother to pick realistic aliases. Uchiha Madara and Senju Hashirama are historical figures, you would have had better luck if you chose Genghis Khan and Pocahontas. You're a woman, Senju Hashirama was a man."

"Wait wait wait, but I really am Senju Hashirama, see?" and Hashi clapped her hands and _Sexy no Jutsu'd_ herself into her male version.

The civil servant looked over his glasses, unimpressed. He leaned around Hashi. "Next in line," the civil servant said.

Madara started, "Wait, how dare you? What do you mean, next in line?" while Hashi poofed back to her normal form and yelled, "Wait wait wait we're not done yet--"

"Next in line," the civil servant said. Madara pushed Hashi back, activating his Sharingan.

"And that's how we filed our marriage certificate!" Hashi says.


	67. Couch (explicit)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Explicit sexual content, body worship, fellatio, cunnilingus, vaginal fingering, PIV sex, Netflix-and-Chill

The left side of Obito's body is more sensitive than his right. On an intellectual level, this makes sense: Obito's right side is made up almost entirely of Hashirama's cells. His chest and arm are slightly numb on that side, the cells not quite integrated with the nerves of his body.

Rin finds this out when she kisses his neck. She presses her lips to the pale white flesh when he sighs quietly and tells her, "It feels better if you kiss me here."

"Where?" she says, and shyly he gestures to his left carotid, the tender pulse point below his jaw. Even the seam between where his body ends and the patches of cloned skin begin is surprisingly sensitive, the ragged junction between the two heightening the sensation. She'll brush the tips of her fingers gently only for him to feel a jolt of sensation, not quite painful, but definitely more pronounced than anywhere else on his body. Her lips on the seam just below his navel elicits the same choked gasp as if she closed her soft warm mouth over the head of his erection, the two areas equally as sensitive, the sensation equally as pleasurable.

He likes it when she runs her tongue along the swell of his lower lip, which is full and soft and just a little bit pouty, something Kakashi used to make fun of him for when he was younger. The scars along his face are acutely sensitive, the skin used to being covered by a mask, the protected nerves flaring at the slightest touch; if she were to suckle at the soft skin of his earlobe, it would send the blood rushing somewhere decidedly more south.

She kisses his throat, his clavicle, the line of his sternum. The jagged scar tissue running vertically down his body. She'll rub her mouth against the crest of his left hip, let her fingertips brush along the inside of his thigh. Once, she had worked him up so much just by touching around him, that as soon as she slipped her hand over his erection, he came hard, stuttering and apologizing, the suddenness of his orgasm surprising them both.

He never lasts long when she fellates him. He'll blush and breathe heavily as the soft warmth envelopes him, and all it takes is a few bobs of her head before he's coming helplessly, twitching and spurting inside her mouth.

He loves her breasts, but he's always shy when he touches them, always waiting for her to nod and give him permission before sliding his hands up her shirt, plucking the clasp of her bra and slipping his hand over her soft mounds. He loves kissing and licking her nipples, rubbing his thumbs on the pebbled tips, which are hard and pink and glisten with his saliva. He loves the sounds she makes when he plays with her clit, stroking his wet fingers up and down her nub, loves how her body jerks and twitches with the sensation. He'll tease her by sliding the head of his erection against her nub, grinding down against her clit until she's whimpering and straining beneath him. They both love the feel of penetration, the delicious stretch as he slides inside and splits her open.

They're sitting on the couch, watching another terrible romance movie, when Obito's hand shyly rests on her thigh. The movie continues and he begins stroking her skin, fingertips dragging along the inside of her thigh in shy circles. She shifts a fraction and he moves daringly close to the damp cloth of her panties, fingers lightly skittering over her mound, just above her nub. There's a shopping montage and he's mouthing the side of her neck, slipping his fingers into her underwear, rubbing her nub in firm, strong strokes, making her mouth fall slack and open. Her nipples harden beneath her shirt and he gropes her breast, kissing her shoulder.

" _Oh!_ " the heroine cries, as she blubbers onscreen about her hapless love life, and Obito nudges his head between Rin's legs, tugging down her panties, pressing his hot mouth against her clit, fingering her until she's gasping and tensing. Her hands tug at his hair as her stomach tightens, and when the heroine starts complaining Rin orgasms hard, pitching forward and jerking helplessly on the couch.

They scrabble. Rin pulls off his shirt, pushes down his pants, tugs him on top of her and wraps her hand around his erection, guiding him in. One harsh slide upwards, and they're connected, Obito sighing into her neck and thrusting while the leading man confesses his love to the heroine on-screen. He comes just as the heroine slaps the leading man in the face, pulsing hard as the heroine shouts _she's getting married, you idiot!_ and running away.

They're both still. Rin feels her heartbeat slowing, both their breaths growing more steady. He pulses a few more times, before he mumbles, "Why do they always have to be love triangles?"

And Rin starts laughing, gasping and jerking with a few pleasured aftershocks, and kisses him fondly, smiling and dropping her hand on top of his sweaty head.


	68. Gravity Dimension

Sometimes, Kakashi would pray in front of Rin's headstone, and Rin would feel her consciousness being ripped away from Obito. All at once she'd be in the middle of a bright, grassy field, the sun shining on the graveyard while Kakashi laid flowers and an ero book as an offering. "It's a new volume, Rin," Kakashi would say, because she was the one who read ero books first, and he'd set the book down in front of her grave.

Rin would look around and see blue skies and white clouds, birds singing overhead. And then she'd feel Obito calling to her again, and all at once she'd be transported, find herself in dark spaces, cold air and claustrophobic cliffs, Obito having killed another person, blood dripping down his arm as he looked up at the slate gray sky, the rain sluicing down his mask like tears. She followed him all those years because he always spoke to her - when he felt lonely, when he felt uncertain and overwhelmed - and even if she’d start to fade or drift away, she'd feel her consciousness being called toward him again.

They were transported to the gravity dimension. Rin watched, horror-struck, as Obito and Kakashi both fell to their knees, unable to stand up.

A chakra rod shot through the air, moving as if being dragged through thick molasses. She saw Kakashi and Obito running. _At least let me be a shield for them! If I could just make it in time--_

Rin could hear their prayers.

Her consciousness spread far, able to reach both Kakashi and Obito from across the gravity field. Her hands clasped both of theirs, and she made contact - her spirit, which was weightless and formless, suddenly had heft in this dimension, and as soon as she grabbed their hands she ran, yanking them toward the center, helping them.

I'm going to see my friends again, Rin thought. The chakra rods were hurtling towards them. I'm going to see my friends again and I could talk to both of them!

 _Rin_ , she heard Kakashi think, as if in answer, _Obito and I will be joining you soon._

But the rod heading toward Kakashi started to swirl, and Rin could hear Obito's thoughts, just like she always did. She could hear Obito's prayers.

_Rin. This time, when I get there...let's spend some time alone together, just you and me...._

The rod smashed into Obito's stomach.

_Kakashi would only be in the way. I'm leaving him here._

*****

The three of them are sitting over barbecue, Kakashi in charge of the meat because Obito kept taking it out too early. "That's not ready to eat, you need to let it cook more," Kakashi says, and Rin giggles as Obito grumbles that Kakashi is being a pain in the ass.

The meat sizzles. Rin picks up her glass, taking a drink of water when Kakashi asks, "Rin. Was that really you back there, in the gravity dimension?"

Obito looks up. Kakashi doesn't look at either of them, concentrating on flipping over the pieces of meat with his chopsticks. "Kaguya had launched chakra rods toward Naruto and Sasuke, and Obito and I were trying to get there in time to block them--"

"I was there, I know," Rin says. Kakashi sits back, surprised.

"Really?" Kakashi says.

"You two weren't going to make it on time, and all of a sudden my spirit had weight. I grabbed you both and pulled you there."

"Amazing." Kakashi looks at Rin, awestruck. "So you really were following him?"

"Mostly. Sometimes I'd hear you talking to me, though, and then I'd find myself back in Konoha again." Rin picks up her chopstick, then turns a piece of meat in front of her. She frowns, thoughtfully. "It was always such a change," Rin says. "Konoha was so bright, every time I'd find myself there, I'd think maybe I was in paradise. But then Obito would call to me, and it'd be like we were underground again, everything was so dark and cold and lonely. I wished I could actually be there with him."

Obito gives her a small smile. Rin rubs his arm, scooting next to him.

"Anyway, yeah," Rin says. She plucks out a piece of meat. "That was me."

"Amazing," Kakashi says again. Obito's eyes widen.

"Oi! The meat's burning!" Obito starts pulling the meat up with his chopsticks. "Bakakashi, this is why you shouldn't be in charge of grilling--"

"Wha- if you were in charge everything we'd eat would be raw!"

"Why does anyone have to be in charge anyway?" Rin says, because she was actually paying attention to the grill, her meat is cooked perfectly.


	69. Personality

The first time Rin saw Obito, he was that loud, annoying kid picking fights with the bigger boys hanging out at the corner.

At eight years old, Rin knew who was the runt of the litter, who was the most awkward and who was probably used to blustering his way through it. When Obito yelled, it had the same effect as a drop-kick dog yapping at wolves, and the end result was pretty much the same.

Later, after the throng of genin boys stopped rushing toward the commotion by the jungle gym and after the shouts of "Fight! Fight! Fight!" died down, it wasn't long before the Uchiha kid was body-slammed into the nearest swingset; it wasn’t until one of their teachers managed to push through the crowd that the fight broke up, and Rin watched, eyes glued to the trainwreck of a classmate she had just met a few hours earlier.

*****

Everyone in their class knew that Obito was an Uchiha. Even with the Uchiha crest and the Uchiha coloring and the Uchiha name written in felt-tipped pen on the back of his backpack, Obito made it known, loudly and with vigor, that he was an elite, special, a ninja above all else.

It wasn’t that Obito didn't have friends, exactly: it was just that the Uchiha avoided him, because he clearly sucked and he would bring down their reputation, while the non-Uchiha were intimidated by him: when they got to know him, they got annoyed by him, and told him bluntly so.

They trained. Rin learned her katas and jutsus and how to make hand seals and kage bunshin while Obito mostly just floundered, and whenever he screwed up or blew a jutsu or generally failed in an epic and cringe-worthy fashion, he compensated by becoming even louder and more indignant, at one point picking a fight with Gai before summarily getting curb-stomped into the ground.

Later, after Obito was ushered to the hospital and Gai was given a stern talking-to (much to Gai's bewildered protestations, because it was just youth's sweet passion! It could not be helped!), Kakashi just sniffed and rolled his eyes.

"He got really hurt," Rin said, and Kakashi just kind of shrugged, because it was interrupting his training and he had better things to be worrying about. "C'mon. You know Gai went a little hard."

"Then he shouldn't have challenged him," Kakashi said, and the other kids nodded, rolling their eyes.

*****

If people didn't know any better - if they hadn't known Kakashi and Obito when they were kids, like Rin did - they would assume that Kakashi is the laid back one, while Obito is the serious one.

Rin watches, growing more and more amused as they slowly revert back to their old personalities, arguing over something as stupid as barbecue.

"No, Obito, it's not done yet, put it back," Kakashi says. He flips over the menu, showing them. "The rules here say you need to let it cook for at least three minutes--"

"You cook it until it's not red, I don't like eating meat that's turned into jerky," Obito says. Kakashi huffs.

"We listen to you, and we're all going to get food poisoning," Kakashi says. "It even says right here that--"

"That's just a guideline," Obito says.

"What?" Kakashi says.

"It's an approximation. The heat varies. The conductive capabilities of the grill can change. Also, the meat's not red." Obito plucks the piece out with his chopsticks.

Kakashi's eyes widen. "Baka! There's still blood on it!"

"It's medium rare."

"You order _steak_ medium rare, you idiot, you're gonna make yourself sick!"

Rin starts giggling. The two men turn.

"Obito, you see that?" Kakashi says. "Rin is laughing because you're being stupid."

Obito grumbles, "You're the one who's stupid."

"You're both stupid," Rin says. She picks up her chopsticks. "I'm putting meat on the grill."


	70. Resurrection

This is how he was resurrected.

Pieces of ash stuck to Naruto's clothes. It was on the soles of Naruto's feet, on the tops of his shoes and on his arms and sleeves, sticking to him the way dust does after a windstorm.

Obito doesn't remember this, and Rin barely does, but at the time, they both followed them. Followed Kakashi to make sure everything would be okay in the end. Obito leant him his eyes, and afterwards they found themselves on the battlefield, the sky dark and choked with smoke. Hashi was kneeling next to Madara's body, crying. Madara once again had died.

A slow swirl of chakra rose up from the ground at Hashi's feet, whirling around her like a dervish. Her hair flew upward as the weight of her grief spilled outward, and suddenly there was a burst of energy, a ring of light that rose up and exploded outward, touching everything. Trees grew. Vines twisted out of rocks, and shinobi who were recently killed started breathing. Obito could feel his consciousness being pulled toward the battlefield, where the pieces of ash started to swirl and reconstitute itself. He looked at Rin, horrified, tried to grab onto her, but his hand slipped through hers, and he was sucked into the vortex, waking up on the battlefield lying on the ground.

"Obito!" Kakashi ran toward him. Obito coughed, then wheezed, pushing himself upright. The pain in his stomach was still there, burning as if he'd just been stabbed.

"Kakashi. What...what happened?"

"You came back," Kakashi said, and Obito could see Hashi weeping over Madara's body, could make out the subtle movement of Madara's ribs as he breathed.


	71. Suicide (tw: suicide attempt, self-harm)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Graphic description of attempted suicide by hanging, self-harm, cutting, suicidal ideation.

"The cursed seal tag I placed on your heart has disappeared," Madara said. He raised Obito's body upwards, sneering at him. "A cursed seal tag meant to turn you into a puppet, one that would restrict your movements should you try to the remove it. Naturally, you couldn't kill yourself either. It seems you knew about it, Obito."

Rin's hands clenched into fists as she watched. She knew the reason why Obito knew.

*****

Obito knew about the cursed tag in his heart because he tried to kill himself after Nagato's defection. Rin watched as the Black Zetsu rose out from the wall to tell Obito what happened: that Nagato wasted the Rinne Tensei on Konoha and gave up his life. There was no one left to awaken Madara. _"What will you do now, Obito?"_ Black Zetsu said. He started to meld into the wall. _"Once again, it seems that you have failed."_

Obito was silent. From behind the mask, he radiated an eerie calm, standing straight and saying nothing. The Black Zetsu disappeared and Rin watched as he sat heavily on the bed, appearing as if he were mulling over his options.

He picked up a kunai and pressed an experimental cut across his wrist; as expected, his healing ability was too great, the skin knitted shut completely before he finished cutting into it. He was still wearing his mask; Rin couldn't see his face. As always his actions had purpose; his movements did not show a hint of despair.

He crossed the room. Rin followed him, watching as he methodically opened a few drawers, before drawing out a rope. The length was so long, the width was so wide, and he tied it into a noose expertly.

"Obito," Rin said, but he crossed the room again, unable to hear her. Rin followed, watching him. "Obito, don't."

He threw the noose over the rafter.

Rin knit her fingers together, starting to cry as Obito pulled the noose over his neck and stepped onto the chair.

There was a pop, then a sickening thud as his neck broke, and Rin could feel the elusive shimmer of his body trying to put itself back together, when the noose tightened and snapped through bone.

Rin sucked in her breath. Tears filled her eyes and she fell on her knees, weeping. She couldn't feel him. His soul wouldn't come home.

There was a noise, a gargled wheeze, and Rin's head snapped up to see Obito struggling. His heart had stopped but was inexplicably beating again, and after a few futile attempts to loosen the noose he used his kamui to phase through it, dropping suddenly and landing on the floor with a thud.

Obito coughed. The ligature marks on his neck started to heal.

*****

He came up with a new plan.

He brutally dispatched with Konan, no longer willing to stand by in the shadows. He threw himself at the forefront, threatening to wage war unless the kages capitulated. In the darkness, Obito stood in front of the mirror, pushing back a lock of tangled hair and looking into the maw of an exposed socket. Slowly he lifted his hand, and placed the Rinnegan back in.

She could hear his thoughts perfectly, like she could all his prayers.

 _With these eyes, I can bring you back._ He looked up, a thin trickle of blood dripping down the side of his newly implanted Rinnegan. _I will get the Eight and Nine Tails and become the Ten Tails jinchuuriki in place of Madara. And once I activate the Moon's Eye and create the new world, I will give up my life and bring you back._

Rin sat in the corner, holding her arms, watching him.

*****

In the days following the Fourth Shinobi War, Obito contemplated killing himself.

There was a trial. Rin watched as Obito stood in front of the five kage, head bowed and eyes downcast, as they discussed his fate. Should they blind him? Seal his powers? Should they execute him? The handcuffs around his wrists served no purpose except to make everyone feel safe; he could escape from them at any moment.

The Mizukage wanted him dead. Tsunade argued to let Konoha keep him. Onoki was concerned about Madara but Gaara and A agreed with Tsunade.

The verdict came - he would be released to Konoha, where they would dispatch of him as they saw fit. Obito shuffled, head bowed and a shadow over his eyes, as the villagers around him jeered at him.

Rin watched. Heart in her throat, she watched as Obito sat in the dark of his room, slowly handling a kunai and pressing the blade flat against his wrist. He didn't bother trying to cut himself; his healing ability was too great, any cut would heal instantly.

He sat alone in his empty apartment, staring out the unadorned window and watching the sunset. Rin sat beside him and could see how the streaks of orange light slowly gave way to the darkening shadows, the sulfur glow of streetlamps lighting the streets below. Obito no longer had the cursed seal, he could kill himself in any way he wanted to. He would just need to get around his healing ability.

One swig of liquor for courage, and Rin watched as Obito stood restlessly and grabbed a short sword, moving with purpose. He pressed the blade into his abdomen, taking a breath. His hands shook as he slowly pressed in.

And then he threw it to the side. The sword clattered. Obito sank onto his knees, huddling into himself. Watching, Rin knelt beside him, pressing her hands onto his shoulders, trying her best to comfort him. There were times where she knew he could almost feel her presence, and he blinked and leaned against her as if he could.

*****

Years passed. Rin followed him as Obito slowly got used to a routine.

The medications helped. If he kept his mind off the past, he could function semi-decently. Rin watched, heartened, as Obito helped an old lady cross the street, chatting pleasantly with her as he helped her with her walker. Rin smiled to herself. He looked happy for once, and the old woman thanked him, telling him she had a granddaughter, if he was interested, she would love to introduce her to him.

A flicker of pain, and then Obito's face darkened.

She followed him back to the apartment, where he lit a candle for her. Sitting on the bed, the yellow candlelight flickered over his face, making a soft haze of shadows in the empty bedroom.

"They want to make me Hokage, Rin."

Rin slowly sat next to him, listening. Obito hung his head. "It was my dream. When I was younger, I always imagined this. How they'd finally acknowledge me. I'd be so happy...."

His eyes closed. A tear dripped. "I miss you," he said. He hugged himself, taking a shuddery breath. "I know you're watching, Rin, but I still miss you."

"Obito," Rin said, and she pressed her hand flat against the muscle of his back. Slowly she leaned against him, hugging him.

She loved him. All the years she had followed him, seen his suffering and loneliness, she hated that she couldn't comfort him. All she wanted to do was wrap her arms around him, to kiss him and tell him how proud she was of him. That he was doing the best he could, she knew how hard he was working. That even if he hated himself, she still loved him.

The candle flickered. Rin looked up, her consciousness suddenly getting pulled elsewhere.

Was Kakashi saying a prayer for her? No, it didn't feel like that. The candle flickered again and Rin rose, looking up around her--

A sudden gust of wind, a sharp, disorienting vortex, and Rin lurched into consciousness, suddenly aware of cold metal beneath her body, and the dark, purple eyes of a young girl's Rinnegan.

"Oh, shit," Izuna said, and Rin threw a bewildered glance at Madara's panicked younger brother, his shirt unbuttoned and a cellphone in his hand, while the little girl beamed happily at her.


	72. Indemnity (cuddling/fluff)

The Daimyo of the Land of Water is demanding reparations, and so Obito dips into his secret accounts, various Akatsuki holdings that he had disclosed to the Five Nations prior to becoming Hokage. "We demand recompense," a Kirigakure representative says. "Uchiha Obito stole from our country, depleting our wealth and lining the coffers of the Akatsuki with our money. It isn't fair that the Akatsuki's war chest be split up among the five nations at Kirigakure's expense. And lest we forget, he murdered hundreds of shinobi under the guise of being the Mizukage."

Obito stares at them, incredulous. "We already paid everything back with interest," Obito says. He gestures to the other kage. "We already agreed that what is left should go to the other four villages, Konoha included. Tsunade-sama signed the pact."

The Mizukage sniffs. "I see no reason why Konoha should profit."

Obito snaps, "The matter was settled, why is this being brought up again?"

The other kages glance uneasily at each other.

Obito sits heavily on the bed, head in his hands, frustrated. If they don't clinch the trade deal with the civilian village, Konoha will be thrown into debt. Rin sits next to him, touching his arm. "Everything okay?" she says. Wordlessly Obito lists sideways, leaning against her.

He genjutsus her and shows her the whole disastrous meeting, and Rin responds by pursing her lips and resting her hand on his head. "They haven't voted on it yet," Rin says. "Gaara and Darui openly said they'd support you."

"Onoki is still afraid I'm acting as Madara's puppet." Obito sighs, heavily. "There's only four of them and I can't vote on this, we're at a diplomatic standstill."

She rubs his back, and she can feel him start to relax. He plops his head face-first into her shoulder.

Rin lets out a startled laugh, "Obito!"

"Would it be terrible if I just genjutsu them?" His voice is muffled by her shirt. "It would be easy. No one would know."

"I thought you were trying to be a good person?" She rubs soothing circles by the nape of his neck. He moves his head to look up at her.

He reaches up, then tucks back a strand of hair that had fallen by her cheek, the tips of his fingers lightly brushing her temple. His eyes are soft. He smiles at her.

Rin gives him a puzzled smile. "What is it?" she says. Obito searches her eyes quietly.

He rests his head onto her lap, and Rin responds by resting her hand on his head, letting her fingers lightly scratch his scalp as he curls up on his side.

"Rin?"

"Yeah?"

"What would you have done if I did this when we were kids?" Obito says. Rin considers, bowing her head downward to look at him.

"I don't know," Rin says. She cards her fingers through his hair. "Probably freak out."

"Heh. I figured."

"No! I mean, I'd think that you were really injured, like maybe you were too orthostatic to keep sitting up."

Obito laughs. Rin responds by wiggling out from under his head and flopping down next to him.

They rearrange themselves so that Rin is lying on the left side of his chest, resting her head against his shoulder. Obito wraps his arms around her, propping his body slightly to the side so that he's not quite flat on his back. Rin fits her body against his, curling up into the concave hollow of his chest. He feels good and warm and she nuzzles her face against him.

"You know, I thought you'd be more upset about this," Rin says. Obito hugs her.

"I guess I haven't had much time to think about it," Obito says, and Rin realizes she's just brought up painful memories again. She sits up and starts to apologize, but Obito hugs her closer. "I tried negotiating with Onoki one-on-one. The Land of Earth is suffering crop damage from a massive drought, so I offered to open up bilateral trade agreements between their village and ours in return for his vote. He refused, and then he ratted me out to the other kage, claiming I was trying to influence him. I can't even be mad, because I was," Obito says.

"What would you do if you were in the Akatsuki?" Rin asks.

"Genjutsu them. Take I want. Maybe install a subordinate to infiltrate them. Start a whisper campaign in favor of our vote. And if that didn't work, I'd probably send one of the teams to kill them. I'd make it look like an accident, of course," Obito says, and he shifts to look at her. "Onoki would be easy. He's old - all I'd have to do is imply that he needs to do something to protect his legacy. ' _Your village is suffering, and on your deathbed you will look back and have nothing but regret. Think about it,'_ I'd say, and then I'd disappear and let him mull it over."

"So what are you doing now?"

"Trying to convince everyone that I'm harmless and that I'm trying to do the best for the village. Ironic, because the village council doesn't trust me, either." He shifts Rin closer to his chest, then squeezes her fondly. "It's one of the reasons why I'm trying to bring the civilian villages into the fold. They don't know me. Granted, they know I have the Sharingan and they're afraid of me, but it's for an entirely different reason."

Rin feels herself start to drowse. His voice is soothing. He feels comfortable and warm and the entire time he's been talking, he's been absently running his fingertips up and down the skin of her arm. She feels him rest his cheek on her forehead. She smiles and presses a soft kiss against his throat, cuddling him sleepily. "Maybe you should listen to Kakashi," Rin says.

"What about Kakashi?"

"Wear makeup and dye your hair."

Obito scoffs. "Bakakashi is a pain in the ass."

Rin giggles. Obito reaches across her body to switch off the lamp, then shifts her weight, pulling the blankets over the both of them.

Like every night, Obito is the big spoon. Rin curls up on her side and Obito cups his body against hers, his arm draping across her torso and pulling her to his chest. He doesn't say it, but Rin knows he takes comfort in this, being able to hold her and cuddle her the rest of the night. Every so often he'll nuzzle his face into her neck or brush a soft kiss against her nape. Before, he rarely slept, relying on Hashirama's cells and sheer willpower to stay awake. He used to have nightmares, dreams where the walls would suddenly cave in, where the people he killed rose up to accuse him. Frequently he dreamt of Rin's death, and it would be as if he'd witnessed it all over again.

Sleep is comforting now, because he can sleep next to Rin, can feel her move and stir against him.

There is another round of negotiations, and Obito is caught off-guard when an Iwagakure representative asks him about the possibility of a bilateral trade agreement. Obito looks up and sees Onoki scowling, his arms crossed and his face pinched. He sees Obito and looks away dismissively. "I'm doing this for my village," Onoki says. His cape flutters as he floats over, scowling. "That's the only reason you've got my vote."

"Thank you," Obito says, and his face brightens. The other kage look and whisper to themselves. They had never seen the Sixth Hokage crack a smile.


	73. Warmth (explicit)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Vaginal fingering, PIV sex

There is a dull haze of grayish light leaking through the blinds on the window, and Rin stretches and shifts beneath the covers. Obito is asleep, his body pressed against her back and his arm draped heavily across her waist. He feels sleep-warm and comfortable, and Rin exhales softly, burrowing into her pillow.

He's hard, but that's not unusual in the mornings. She's about to drift back to sleep again when she feels him shifting behind her.

Eyes still closed, she rolls and cuddles against him, nuzzling his neck. She feels him smiling against her forehead. He hugs her and his hips push in-between her legs, grinding his erection against her bud.

It's a sleepy, almost unconscious movement, but Rin takes that as permission. Mouthing his neck, she slips her hand beneath the waistband of his pants, rubbing his hardness until his breathing grows more erratic. She feels him kiss her neck, sucking lightly on her collarbone as his hand slides up her shirt. He nuzzles at her sternum, then lightly sucks at her breast, his lips closing around her nipple. His mouth is soft and warm and she feels his hand sliding down her stomach and into her panties, feels his thumb find her nub while his fingers curl inside her.

Rin sighs softly. He's fingering her gently now, the bedsheets shifting quietly with the movement. It feels good and she feels the pleasure building, her hips rocking up against his hand. He kisses her breasts, softly licking her nipples, while his fingers insistently rub against that sensitive patch of wall inside her, his thumb rubbing her nub with devastating intention. She feels her coming orgasm slowly gathering, arching her pelvis upward, until she gasps and orgasms hard, her body pitching forward, jerking helplessly against his.

Obito smiles. He presses a chaste kiss against her collarbone, then slips his hand out of her panties, before tugging them down her legs. The sheets rustle as he pushes down his pants, positioning himself between her legs. She feels the blunt head of his erection nudging into her, before sliding in with no resistance. Rin gasps softly, smiling. He kisses her neck and hugs her, rocking into her body.

His thrusts are slow and gentle, still half-asleep but not really. Her shirt is pushed up around her chest, bunching under her arms as he leans heavily against her. He's also still wearing a shirt, and Rin giggles, wrapping her arms around his back and smiling into his neck.

It feels good. The sliding, rocking motion, the delicious stretch and rub against her engorged walls. His face is tucked against the crook of her neck, and she feels him start to move with intention, his thrusts moving just a tad harder. Just a bit faster.

He gasps, then shudders, pulsing gently inside her while he hugs her, breathing heavily but softly. Rin smiles and wraps her arms around him, reveling in the feel of him inside her, the warm pulsing of his orgasm as he holds her.

It feels nice. It feels warm and comfortable and they stay locked like this for a moment. Rin could fall asleep like this, with him resting between her legs, soft but still inside her, but Obito moves, and Rin reluctantly gets up to follow.

Back in bed. It's a rare day off, and they cuddle beneath the blankets. She feels his arm slip around her chest, hugging her against his body, as she smiles and drifts back to sleep.


	74. Marriage Certificate, part 4

"Okay, Ms. Nohara, we have your re-issued birth certificate, your proof of identity number. We have here a voided death certificate, and proof that the body interred in Konoha cemetery isn't really yours."

Rin's eyes dart. "Uh..." The civil servant smiles.

"Congratulations," she says. She looks up from the computer. "You are now among the land of the living."

"Oh thank god." Rin breathes a sigh of relief while Obito beams happily.

Getting herself declared Not Dead had taken several weeks - lots of traveling back and forth to the capital, countless sworn affidavits, notarized letters and court hearings, and multiple applications to reissue her documents. The civil servant stamps Rin's file - ERRONEOUSLY DECEASED - and hands her the paperwork.

"And so we can file the marriage application now?" Rin says. She clasps Obito's hand, happily. The civil servant nods.

"Of course. And again, so sorry for the hold up. You know how it is, bureaucratic red tape. The computer won't even let us fill it in if everything's not in order." The woman types on the keyboard.

"Oh," the woman says. She frowns and squints at the screen. "Oh dear."

"What is it?" Rin says. The civil servant peers around the monitor.

"It says here Uchiha Obito died 20 years ago."

"What?!" Rin says.

"Shit," Obito says. And because he's not a good person, Obito tries genjutsu-ing the civil servant, who promptly covers her eyes and yanks down the shade in front of her window.

"Sir! Please deactivate your ninja eyes, Sir! Forcibly imposing your will on a civil servant for the purpose of expediting documentation is a crime!"

"Madara." Obito grits his teeth and deactivates his Sharingan. "Dammit."

Somewhere in the village, Madara sneezes.


	75. Inside Joke

They're sitting on the couch, watching a movie, when Rin leans over.

"Ne, Obito?"

"Hm?"

"Please deactivate your ninja eyes!"

Obito starts laughing. Rin giggles and snuggles against his shoulder.

*****

It becomes an inside joke: Rin will be walking past him in the kitchen, or sitting next to him on the couch, when she'll lean over him and say, "Please deactivate your ninja eyes!"

Invariably, it makes Obito crack up, and Rin will give him a mock serious look and tell him, "Sir! Deactivate your ninja eyes! This is no laughing matter!" and it's so stupid they both end up laughing.

It's the only time Rin's seen him laugh.


	76. Spooning (explicit)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Explicit sexual content, fingering, PIV sex spooning/doggy-style

She's about to drift to sleep when she feels him shyly kissing the nape of her neck. 

It feels nice, and Rin scoots back against him, feeling him smiling against her neck, his lips brushing against the skin of her nape and shoulder. His hand is resting on her stomach, and she feels his fingers lightly stroking her shirt, small, feather-light touches just above her navel. Another kiss, and the hand travels upward, his lips gently pressing against her nape as his fingers trail up her shoulder and then back down to her collarbone, over her breast and lightly circling her nipple over her shirt.

Rin sighs, pressing her legs together, and he kisses her firmly on the neck, his hand slipping into between her legs, lightly kisses the back of her ear as his fingers press firmly into her sensitive bud, making her gasp a little, the fabric of her panties growing slick and damp. Gasping, she lifts her hips and lets him push her panties down, kicks them off before scooting back against him. She hears him chuckle softly before mouthing her neck, his fingers dipping into her wetness while his other hand snakes around her to cup her breast. Wet fingers circle her nub.

They're both breathing raggedly now, and she hears him shift, the sound of cloth moving until she feels the blunt head of his erection nudging at her back. They've never had sex this way before, spooning on their sides like this, and they fumble a moment, Rin scooting and moving her top leg until he's able to find the right angle before sliding in. Her mouth pops open, suddenly aware of the fullness of this new angle, and clumsily she tries to move back into him, gasping hard as his fingers rub against her nub.

It takes a bit, but they find a rhythm, Obito's mouth latching against her neck while his arm tightly circles her ribs. He pumps and his fingers rub incessantly against her sensitive bud, his cock battering against the engorged patch of wall, and Rin starts making soft, desperate little noises, her body tensing and spiraling toward orgasm. 

She comes with a sudden harsh buck, then jerks helplessly, body pitching forward while Obito holds her back, keeps her flush against him. He stills as she spasms helplessly around him, and it's only until she goes limp that he starts thrusting again, harder and with purpose. She gasps and grabs his arm, flopping over onto her stomach, and wordlessly he hauls up her hips and grasps his hands around her waist, then pounds into her with abandon.

Rin shrieks, his cock sawing against the sensitive patch, a pleasurable spot just on the edge of pain. She's making sobbing cries now, her head lolls to the side, mouth open, hair tangling around her face, covering her eyes, as her body bounces a little on the mattress. Her shirt bunches above her waist as her breasts swing and bounce, her mouth hangs open, and all at once he collapses onto her back, and gasps, twitching and pulsing deep inside her.

She gasps and spasms, unexpected, once, twice, three times, a few harsh pops of pleasure from the overstimulation. He softens and slips out almost immediately, and they both recoil as his semen leaks down her leg. "Oh, geez," Rin says, and Obito fumbles for tissues. Rin starts laughing, rolling onto her back and dotting the wetness between her legs. "That was good, but also terrible."

Obito winces. "We need to change the sheets."

"That was your fault."

"Sorry."

Rin giggles, reaching up to pull him down to a kiss. He loses his balance and drops heavily on top of her, making her laugh, before affectionately reaching up to kiss him. He beams and presses small kisses to her cheek and lips, before helping her sit up. They get up to clean themselves, and she pulls her sweaty shirt off and tosses it on the ground.


	77. Good-looking

She's sitting at the kitchen table, drinking a cup of tea while Obito is fixing breakfast. He moves and she can see how his shirt stretches over the broadness of his back and shoulders.

Rin leans back, watching. Unlike the other nin, Obito is more stocky and solidly built, more like a workhorse than the usual slender but lean shinobi. He's attractive, Rin realizes, even though technically she already knew that, but watching him now, opening the fridge and rummaging for a pitcher of water, she can't help but think that damn, Uchiha Obito is kind of hot. She takes a sip from her cup, appreciatively.

Obito is setting down a tupperware of rice when he notices her looking at him. "What is it?" he says. Rin smiles.

"I was just thinking you're really good-looking."

Obito's eyes widen. A bright red blush cracks across his face, and he fumbles with the tupperware container, nearly dropping the rice on the floor.

Rin starts laughing. "Obito!"

"Stop making fun of me."

"I'm not making fun of you, you're really attractive, I told you already!"

Obito scowls, blushing furiously. Rin laughs and goes up to hug him.


	78. Apartment

"When are you going to move into the Hokage palace?" Kakashi says.

"What's wrong with my apartment?" Obito says.

"Your apartment is a shithole," Kakashi says. "The other day I saw some drunk guy peeing against your building. And I heard the lower level units get broken into."

"Rin and I are nin," Obito says. "Besides, it's close to the civilian medical center. If I need to get to the palace quickly I can just teleport there."

"Obito. You and I both know you picked this place because the rent is cheap and because you were in the middle of your self-flagellation phase. You have Rin to worry about, you two are trying to have a kid. She deserves to live somewhere that doesn't smell like cigarettes and urine."

*****

"Rin, should we move into the Hokage palace?" Obito says.

Rin looks up. "Eh? Are they making you?"

"Kakashi was concerned about the crime rate and that the fact that the courtyard is sometimes covered in trash. Do you feel unsafe?"

"No, of course not."

"We can move. Technically I have permission to."

Rin giggles. Obito blinks. "What?"

"You speak about having permission as if you don't belong there."

Obito looks confused for a moment. He blushes. "Well--"

Rin laughs and waves her hand.


	79. Outfit, part 2

"Obito. You saved my life not once, but twice. You pushed me out of the way of those rocks and you teleported that chakra rod away from me. Consider this me repaying my debt."

"Kakashi this isn't necessary," Obito begins, but Kakashi cuts him off.

"You dress like a homeless person." Kakashi points at him. "It's bad enough you won't wear makeup or dye your hair. But you're running around in that same stupid outfit you wore in the Akatsuki. There's no reason for that."

Obito mumbles, "it still fits," and "I don't like clothes shopping," but Kakashi won't hear of it. He puts his hands on his hips.

"Obito. I've seen your closet. All you have are those Tobi turtlenecks and maybe one pair of the standard uniform. You need to let me buy you clothes."

"The uniform is fine - and I wear the turtlenecks under the flak jacket, no one knows--"

"Everyone knows, and that's why everyone's afraid of you," Kakashi says. Obito rolls his eyes and turns away from him. "Fine," Kakashi says. "Let's see what Rin thinks."

"Rin doesn't care."

"Oh, really?"

"Rin," Obito says. Rin has been studying at the table. She lifts her head. Obito gestures. "Kakashi wants to buy me an outfit."

"Ooh. Get him something nice!" Rin says. Kakashi snorts.

"I was telling him what I have is fine," Obito says.

"And I am telling him he dresses like a homeless person. Rin, what do you say?"

"Eto..." Rin considers. "Can you get him something just as skin-tight?"

Obito starts, "Rin!"

"See?" Kakashi says. Rin raises her hands.

"I mean, I like the Tobi outfit. They show off his chest and abs--"

"You're blushing," Kakashi says to Obito. Obito drops his head in his hands.

"He's always covering himself with that flak jacket," Rin says. "Get him something nice. Something sexy."

"Will do!" Kakashi says cheerfully.

Obito looks mournfully at Rin. "I trusted you."

Rin giggles at him.


	80. Kakashi's Date

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kakashi/OC

The civilian clerk checks his reflection in the mirror, straightening and re-straightening his hair. He fixes his glasses and buttons the collar of his shirt, then checks again that he looks okay.

It's just a date, but it's an important date. He's actually meeting Kakashi's shinobi friends today. He's already introduced Kakashi to his civilian friends, and Kakashi slipped right in, blending in with his friends group easily and impressing everyone around him. "He's so laid back," they said, marveling, and the clerk beamed, because this guy was definitely boyfriend material, he was super lucky to have him.

"Just so you know, shinobi are kind of...intense," Kakashi had said, and the clerk laughed.

"I'm sure they are! When can I meet them?"

"I'm meeting a few former students at the training grounds, do you want to say hi tomorrow?"

Now the clerk tugs on his collar, nervously. Dress pants, button-up shirt, glasses. He looks like an accountant or a middle manager, not someone who's actively dating a hot sexy shinobi.

"Yo," Kakashi says, and the clerk turns. He flashes Kakashi a nervous grin.

"Is this okay?" the clerk says. Kakashi nods.

"You look great. Don't worry about it."

He follows Kakashi nervously. Kakashi, as usual, saunters, hands stuffed in his pockets, head tilted back ever so slightly, looking at the sky. It's a disaffected cool that makes the clerk's stomach flip, because this is an actual shinobi and no one's ever been with a shinobi this close before. They get to the training grounds and Kakashi waves his hand.

"Yo, everyone," Kakashi says, and the clerk wonders, how is he going to introduce him? As his friend? Boyfriend? The guy who works in the bookshop he visits? "This is Kiyotsugu, the guy I'm seeing."

"OH!" Naruto says, trotting up to them. Sakura waves.

"Hello."

"Kakashi-sensei! What happened to that guy from the bowling alley? I heard he dumped you, dattebay--"

"NARUTO, you dumbass, shut up!" Sakura claps her hand over Naruto's mouth. The clerk laughs, nervously.

The pink-haired girl seems nice. She's normal and friendly. The blond kid is hyper and he has whiskers, which is weird to him. "Oh, he's got a fox spirit sealed in his belly," Kakashi says. "But don't worry, they're friends."

They take a walk around the village. Nin stroll past them and Kakashi makes the requisite pleasant introductions, and on the whole things are going pretty nice. "My esteemed rival is settling down!" Gai wails, and the clerk laughs self-consciously, a sweat drop forming on his forehead.

"Oh, Kiyotsugu," Kakashi says, and he takes the clerk by the arm. He motions to a couple walking opposite them. "These are my friends, Obito and Rin."

"Hello," the woman says, smiling. The man hangs back, awkwardly.

Scars. It's the first thing the clerk's gaze falls on, and it's so jarring the clerk has to remind himself not to stare. He turns awkwardly and tries to keep his eyes focused on the woman, who's chatting pleasantly with him, but every so often his eyes would dart over to the man with the scars marring his face and the white grafted skin.

The man's eyes meet his gaze. The clerk freezes. "My apologies!" the clerk says, and he bows. "I didn't mean to stare, I wasn't--"

"Don't worry, he knows he's funny-looking," Kakashi says.

"Kakashi!" Rin hits Kakashi on the arm. The disfigured man smiles.

"I heard you work at a bookstore?" the disfigured man says. His voice is a harsh rasp. The clerk nods, awkwardly.

"Well that was mortifying," the clerk says, after the couple leaves. Kakashi laughs and rubs his arm.

"Obito's not so bad," Kakashi says. "He's been through a lot. When you get to know him, he's actually a really nice guy."

"What happened to him?" the clerk asks, and for the first time, he sees Kakashi's face darken.

"He saved my life during the war. The scars are from those injuries."

"Do you want to talk about it?" the clerk asks. Kakashi shakes his head.

"Maybe someday. The details are too depressing."

Kakashi's eyes grow distant. Unfocused, as if reliving some painful memory. But then he shakes himself out of it and turns, his eyes creasing into two happy commas:

"Well, enough about that. Let's go somewhere and grab some lunch."


	81. Studying, part 4

She's studying in the library, flipping through a few pages in her book, when Obito calls her on the phone.

"Hello?" Rin picks up the phone, glancing up from her notes. Quietly she cups her hand over the phone and moves to the hallway where she won't disturb anybody.

" _Rin, I need your help._ "

"I can't hear you," Rin says. She puts a hand over her ear, but Obito's voice is staticky. "Are you going through a tunnel?"

In the elevator, Obito grits his teeth while Madara rolls his eyes, a plume of blue chakra enveloping the phone. "We're in an elevator," Obito says. He looks over at the unconscious repairmen at his feet. "The signal's bad so Madara's using his chakra to amplify it."

"Can't you kamui somewhere with more bars?" Rin leans against a column and shuffles through her notes. Obito's voice breaks up. She thinks she hears something like, "Dampened chakra," and "synaptic dampener." And then, " _He fucking knocked out the repairmen, Rin._ "

"Eh?" Rin straightens. Obito's voice is tinny in her ear.

 _"We're trapped in this stupid elevator and Madara thought they were assassins. We can't heal them. I was hoping you could help._ "

"Well, okay, what's wrong with them?" Rin shifts the phone from one ear to the other, flipping through her notes. "Is it just contusions and blunt force trauma, or did Madara stab them?"

"Uh, blunt force," Obito says. He turns over the repairman's supine body, frowning. "Probably concussed, since they're unconscious."

" _Well okay, that's easy. Weave the signs for seal, ox, rabbit, and man, and direct your chakra over where Madara hit them. That should speed up their healing._ "

"Seal, ox, rabbit, and man?" Madara scoffs. "You should tell your precious Rin she seriously underestimates the damage I've inflicted on them."

Obito gives him a withering look. "You're on speaker," Obito says. On the phone, Rin adds, " _If you FaceTime me I can take a look at their injuries._ "

On the phone, Madara says, " _There is no need_ ," and before Rin can answer the call abruptly ends.

"Huh," Rin says. She tries dialing his number again, but it goes straight to voicemail.

Obito doesn't call back. She shrugs and goes back into the library.

*****

"Rin-chan!" Hashi says. They're in the examination room; Hashi skips over to Rin and clasps her hands. "Are you re-taking the test, too?"

"I am," Rin says. Hashi's face splits into a grin. She leans over conspiratorially.

"Betcha we can knock out those civilian administrators real quick and get the answers!"

"But Hashi-san, this isn't even the real thing, and besides that, I think it's on the computer," Rin says. Hashi whirls around.

"Again? Dammit!" Hashi says.

"Shh," one of the test takers says.

They both fail the mock exam.

*****

  
"So these are the same boards civilian doctors take?" Obito thumbs through Rin's papers while Rin eats a cold sandwich over the sink. "I don't understand. This looks completely different than how we were trained."

"It is." Rin swallows quickly and takes a chug of water. "So much of it is counterintuitive. I have to remember the shinobi way of doing things and the civilian way, and half the time they're the complete opposite. I hate it. Look at this," Rin says, and she flips open a book to show reams and reams of different bacteria, physical characteristics and antibiotic treatments. "I have to memorize this even though all we'd have to do is apply chakra to the places of infection. This is completely useless."

"Maybe it'd be helpful if you ran out of chakra?" Obito says. Rin shakes her head.

"You wouldn't be able to do anything if you don't have access to medications," Rin says. She closes the book, frowning.

Studying goes. Rin hefts her books back and forth from the library, pouring over her notes.

"Man, Rin-chan! If only Paraquat caused bloody diarrhea, I'd have the perfect mnemonic for it!" Hashi spins on her heel, grinning. "Paraquat. Pop-a-squat! Bloody diarrhea!"

"But it causes ARDS and esophogeal strictures. And it doesn't do anything with the GI tract, at most it causes kidney failure," Rin says. Hashi pouts.

"It would have been a great mnemonic," Hashi says. Rin bangs her head on the table.

"Ugh! Hashi-san! Why are we so stupid?" Rin says. "Maybe we should just give up on getting the medic-nin designation."

"No, no, Rin-chan! Don't give up!" Hashi clasps her hands. "Tsunade-chan said we could sit in the civilian lectures at their med school! We just need to learn the material! It'll be easy after then!"

"Why are you trying to get the medic designation, anyway?" Rin asks. "Aren't you classified as an anti-platoon S-class jounin?" In fact, rumor had it Tsunade-sama herself came up with the new category, Hashi-san and Madara being the only two nin categorized with it. Hashi grins.

"Mm, well I'm pregnant again," Hashi says. She pats her bump proudly. "Madara gets worried and stressed out when I'm away on missions. If I were a medic nin, I could take assignments that are easier."

*****

More books. A pile on the table; several binders stacked in front of her. Different colored pens and highlighters. Pages and pages of rewritten notes and figures.

She bangs her head on the table and stretches her arms out in front of her, groaning.

Time passes. The kitchen is dark, and Rin wakes to find herself sleeping with her head on the table. She sits up and feels a blanket falling down her shoulders. Obito had probably seen her sleeping, covering her with the blanket before turning off the lights. Rin smiles. She looks around and sees the cup of cold coffee and plate of food Obito had set in front of her hours ago - Rin had been too absorbed in her studying to notice.

In the bedroom, Obito is asleep. He's curled up on his side, his back facing her, asleep with his face buried against a pillow he's hugging to his chest. Rin bites back a laugh. Carefully, she lifts the sheets behind him and slowly curls around his back, letting her arm gently snake around his waist so as not to wake him. He feels solid and warm, and Rin nuzzles her face against his back, pressing a soft kiss between his shoulderblades. She rests her hand against his ribs and feels the steady rise and fall of his breathing, warm skin and solid muscle expanding beneath his shirt.

When she was a ghost, she used to hold him like this. Quietly she slides her hand flat beneath his shirt, letting her palm rest idly against his stomach. She fans her thumb against his skin and remembers how she'd pray that he would somehow feel her, that he'd know that she was watching him, that she cared. She settles against his back and drapes her arm across his waist, snuggling him against his back and pulling him closer.


	82. Lonely (explicit)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> explicit PIV sex, vaginal fingering

She's sitting in their kitchen studying again, back hunched over a stack of papers.

Obito doesn't bother announcing he's home - he doesn't want to disturb her concentration. Instead he quietly slips off his shoes and takes out the bento from the plastic bag he got from the mini mart, carefully setting it in front of her.

Rin doesn't notice. He has the urge to stroke her hair but he stops himself, knowing it would probably irritate her since she's concentrating.

It's the twelfth night in a row that she's been studying hardcore like this, holed up in their apartment, not even going to the library. "I'm taking my board exams in a few weeks, it's the last push, I need to pass this," Rin had said, and Obito nodded and promised he wouldn't bother her.

He spends his nights mostly at the office, sitting at his desk and going over paperwork. In the evenings, the ink-black sky is so dark, the windows behind him show his reflection like mirrors. Obito sighs and sets down his pen, rubbing his eyes at the orange light from the desklamp. He's alone when he goes to bed, and when he wakes up, Rin has already left him, the only evidence of her comings and goings the slightly rumpled sheets on her side of the futon.

Early morning. He walks out into the kitchen and sees Rin going over flashcards, wearing headphones and writing furiously.

The days are cooler. There's a brisk breeze in the air and Obito lifts his head, relishing the cold air and gray skies. Walking alone like this makes him think back to the Akatsuki, and he finds himself feeling a little bit sad. If Rin hadn't been resurrected, he'd talk to her now, stand by her little shrine and tell her he's feeling a little unmoored and a little bit lonely, but Rin is very much alive, and too busy studying. It'd be completely unreasonable of him to barge into the kitchen because he's feeling lonely.

In the kitchen, her neck is bowed. He watches her quietly push back a lock of hair that had fallen over her face.

He goes into the livingroom and hugs a pillow, feeling stupid for feeling sorry for himself.

"Obito?"

Obito looks up. Rin is hovering at the doorway, holding her arm. "You're done studying?" he asks. Rin smiles and shakes her head, sitting next to him.

She leans against his chest. "I just realized it's been a while since I hugged you," she says, and it makes Obito so happy he gets a bit overwhelmed. He beams and sniffs, hugging her.

"I missed you," he says.

"Aw." Rin squeezes him tight.

They kiss. She gives him one last squeeze before standing up again. "Back to work?" Obito says. Rin sighs, nodding.

"Yeah. Unfortunately."

"You know, I could pull some strings and just get you that medic nin designation," Obito says. Rin laughs and shakes her head.

"I don't want people to think the only reason why I have it is because my fiancé is Hokage," Rin says. He finds himself getting unreasonably sad again as she goes back into the kitchen.

"Ne, Rin?"

"Yeah?"

Obito hesitates. "When you come to bed, will you wake me? I feel like we haven't slept next to each other for weeks."

"Are you sure? I've been going to bed pretty late," Rin says.

"I miss you," Obito says.

Rin beams at him.

It's past midnight when he feels her small hand shaking him. Obito blinks blearily and smiles when he realizes Rin kept her promise to wake him. She cuddles up against his chest and presses a soft kiss against his collarbone.

It's a chaste kiss, but the days without her has made him touch-starved and hungry for contact. He kisses her hair, his hands drifting up and down the small of her back. He finds himself getting hard.

"Sorry--" he starts, but Rin laughs and nuzzles him, pressing her pelvis against him.

"Want to?" she says. She opens her eyes to look at him. Obito’s face brightens.

He stumbles out of the bed, Rin laughing as he lurches toward the bathroom, an obvious tent in his sweatpants as he runs to brush his teeth. She's still laughing when he pushes her back down on the bed, pinning her to the mattress and kissing her deeply and hungrily, his hands sliding up and down her body.

"Oh my god," Rin giggles. Obito chuckles softly and kisses her again.

Shirt. Pants. Their clothes fall in a messy heap. He lies on top of her, kissing her and grinding on top of her, his erection sliding up against her nub. Rin giggles and out a soft gasp when he moves to slide up inside her.

She feels good. She feels soft and warm, and he sighs softly as he thrusts, breathing raggedly as the pleasure builds with each movement. He kisses her neck and eyes before dropping his head on her shoulder, pumping steadily inside her.

She moans and he clings to her, thrusting hard and panting softly. He feels the pleasure building, layering more and more until he reaches a tipping point, and he gasps and spills inside her, pulsing hard and hugging her torso to his chest. He feels her body pop with a few pleasured bursts in response, and he stays inside her well after he's softened, gently kissing her mouth and eyes and stroking her hair and cheeks. She beams up at him and she feels warm and good, and after he slips out, he keeps kissing her gently as he moves to finger her, gently rubbing her nub until she's gasping and jerking.

He grins, then drops a kiss on her nose, and she laughs, her body jerking a few more times beside him. He knows she gets over-sensitive after she orgasms, so he presses a soft kiss to her temple, pressing soft kisses up and down her face as he quietly massages her breasts and rubs her nipples.

"Keep doing that and I think I could go again," Rin says, and Obito beams at her. "How about you?"

"Yeah," he smiles against her mouth. "I could go again."

She giggles.

The next day, Rin's too damn tired to study, and Obito is a bleary-eyed mess, downing cups of coffee in a vain attempt at paying attention to his many meetings.

"You are without a doubt, Konoha's first chronically sleep-deprived Hokage," Kakashi says, frowning at him. "I thought Hashirama's cells made it so that you could go days without sleeping?"

Obito keeps writing. "That's only if I don't expend that much energy," Obito says. He doesn't look up from his papers.

"Well what the hell were you doing that took up so much energy?" Kakashi says. Obito looks up and Kakashi stops a moment. "Actually don't answer that."

"Hm."


	83. Lonely, part 2

"Obito! Guess what?! I passed!"

"You did?!" he says, and she squeals and throws her arms around him. "I'm so happy for you!"

******

"You know she's gonna be going on multi-day missions now, right?" Kakashi says. Obito bangs his head on the table.


	84. Happiness

The longer she's with him, the more he starts acting like the old Obito.

"What are these?" Obito says, as Rin dumps an entire bag of unshucked oysters onto the counter.

"Oysters," Rin says. She wipes the back of her hand across her forehead. "They were selling them at the market. They're supposed to be good eaten raw, but you can bake them and stuff too."

They paw through the shells. The shells look like big gray rocks and briefly Rin is worried Obito will have another panic attack, but he doesn't seem to notice, frowning and picking up a rocky shell in his hand. "How do we open them?" he asks.

"I think--there's a video here showing how to shuck them," she says, and she props up her phone and brings up the civilian website Obito had shown her a few months ago. There's a civilian chef who cheerfully shucks oysters with the flat end of a type of knife they don't have, so Obito fishes out a kunai and they try prying open the shells.

The kunai slips. "Ow," Obito says. Rin's eyes widen at the gash that starts healing across his palm.

Obito smiles ruefully. "Good thing I have that ability now," Obito says. Rin giggles.

They shuck oysters, every few minutes Obito accidentally stabbing himself in the hand. "Um, maybe I should do this," Rin says, and she gently pries the kunai away from him. He scowls and has that same embarrassed look he had when they were kids, and Rin laughs, bumping her shoulder against his arm.

The oysters are nice, but annoying to open. They eat and take a walk around the village; it's nighttime, and the streets are illuminated with the warm yellow glow of street lamps. Couples walk around them, talking and laughing. They talk and laugh too, and as they do she feels Obito's knuckles shyly grazing the back of her hand. Rin giggles, then clasps his hand firmly in hers.

Obito stutters, then beams, his ears turning red. Rin giggles and wraps an arm around him.

They sit at the bench overlooking the Hokage monument. The sky is a deep blue, but the cliffside is illuminated by a light installation just below it. "The last face they carved is Sensei's," Rin says, looking, and they look at the four stoic faces looking down on them. "That doesn't look like Sensei," Rin says, giggling.

Obito's mouth quirks, wryly. "And they carved Hashi-san as a man."

They laugh. Rin bumps her shoulder into his and he ducks his head, his hands folded shyly on his lap. He used to sit this way too, when they were kids, except the longer they'd sit next together, the more happy he'd get, and then he'd jump up and start bouncing around about how one day he'd be Hokage, and everybody would acknowledge him and be nice to him. And Rin would laugh and say _go for it, Obito, you can do it!_ and he'd grin and readjust his goggles on his forehead.

It's the same; the longer they sit, the happier Obito gets. "Now that I'm Hokage, there's so much I want to do with this village," Obito says. He stands up, excitedly. "Did you know there's a whole world out there outside of the Five Great Nations? There's a whole ocean, and continents, and billions of civilians populating the entire planet! They have machines that can fly in the air and underground railways and metal carriages that they drive and moves them everywhere." Obito looks up at the stars, wistfully. "I want to take you to see it, someday."

Rin smiles. "We can," Rin says. She steps next to him. Her hand brushes his and Obito jerks back, surprised. His face turns red.

Rin bursts out laughing. "Obito!" she says. She clasps his hand and tugs him toward her. "You're acting like when we were kids! Why are you embarrassed?"

Obito smiles shyly. "Sometimes I can't believe it," he says. He steps close. "You're actually with me."

"You're also Hokage."

"I don't care about that." His hands gently wrap around hers.

They kiss. She pushes up onto her tiptoes and kisses him, smiling against his mouth. They pull away and Obito is beaming, happy and blushing. She giggles and hugs him, squeezing her arms around his ribs. "Let's go home and try to make a baby," Rin says, wickedly. Obito lets out a soft laugh. She hugs him.

"Let's kamui back there."

"Eh? Why can't we walk?"

"You can't say something like that and expect me to walk!"

Rin laughs again. She wraps her arm around his waist and all at once they're sucked into coldness and blackness, the feeling he had felt when she died, before swirling solid again into their bedroom.

"Ne," Rin says, after they've made love, Obito plastered against her back and spooning her. She strokes his forearm, idly. "After they carve Tsunade-sama, are you gonna have your face up there, too?"

"God, no."

Rin giggles. She feels him smile and shift her closer.


	85. Uchiha Itachi, part 2

"Itachi. Why have you not resurrected yourself yet?" Sasuke asks.

Itachi kneels in front of him, daintily sipping from a cup of tea. "This body has its uses," Itachi says. "If you remember, Sasuke, I went blind before I died. I coughed up blood and had a weak constitution. Now I have unlimited chakra as well as access to all my abilities. I can use the Mangekyou without worrying about the side effects or blindness. I don't feel pain or fatigue, I don't need to eat, and my stamina is endless. As far as my appearance is concerned," Itachi says, and his Sharingan flashes. "I can use a transformation jutsu at any time." And Sasuke finds himself staring at the old Itachi, the Itachi with clear white sclera and soft, non-cracked human skin.

"Whoa, you can do that?" Naruto says.

"I can indeed."

"Izuna-san was slapping lotion on himself, dattebayo."

Itachi walks through the village, blending in with the background. No one notices him. Chakra dampened, he watches silently as the shinobi of the village talk and chat amongst themselves, walking around him the way water flows around a stone.

Uchiha Obito is talking to a group of shinobi. Itachi's eyes narrow. He steps behind a pillar, eavesdropping.

He is, as long as Itachi has known him, a chameleon. A mental shapeshifter, one who can take on the characteristics of anyone so that he can be more disarming. An ancient warlord. A kage-level threat. An idiot or a mastermind, endlessly changing and recalibrating his plans.

"Sasuke. What do you know of the arms deal Uchiha Obito is making with the civilians?"

Sasuke shrugs. "He wants to integrate the tech into Konoha," Sasuke says. "There was a weapons demonstration the other day. Civilians can even penetrate the Susanoo with their guns."

Itachi's eyes narrow.

*****

Itachi had seen Obito's face once. The night of the Uchiha massacre, after he had slaughtered the last of their clan.

Itachi had fallen on his knees at the bank of the river, retching and crying. Behind him, the Uchiha quarter burned. Orange flames licked the black sky, as swirls of his Amaterasu curled up into the cold air.

Itachi looked up. Behind him, the man he thought was Madara slowly knelt down, then lifted a dead Uchiha's head by the hair. Pulling out a pocket knife, he shoved the blade into the dead man's socket, prying the eyeball out with a sickening pop. Itachi rose, eyes fixed on "Madara" as he lifted his mask, then slid the eye into his own socket. He turned and he could see Itachi watching; a trickle of blood dripped down the corner of his eye.

The moon had been a grim silver the night Itachi slaughtered his clan. He started, of all things, by knocking. Trust and kinship were on his side when the neighbor opened the door.

 _Slice_. The body fell with a soft thud, the spray of blood slowly pooling onto the hardwood floor.

Itachi walked, because there were no sentries out. Dust kicked up around his feet as he moved, legs full of lead and his katana hanging listlessly by his side.

Doors opened. "What's this? Itachi...?"

Two shuriken to the stomach. That was another one of his cousins. Footsteps came running.

His Sharingan flashed. Pivoting on a step, he whirled, the blade of his katana slicing through flesh and bone. Screams ricocheted off the cobbled walls and bodies fell around him like leaves.

Slash. Strike. Slash. They were all coming at him now, red eyes open, running toward him. Itachi leapt forward, the chakra springboarding off the soles of his feet and thrusting him toward them, and the Mangekyou whirled, his eyes erupting into a starburst of blackened flame.

His face betrayed nothing. It was only after he had seen Sasuke, after he had cleared the Uchiha periphery and rocketed through the forest downhill, that Itachi staggered forward and vomited, shaking and retching violently, the tears in his eyes smearing the sides of his face with blood.

He had told the masked man he was doing this to measure his capacity. Tried to make him think he was a sociopath, instead of being ANBU and following orders. The masked man didn't believe him then; now he walked up behind Itachi, his footsteps crunching on the dead, dry grass.

"So?" the masked man said, and Itachi could hear the bitterness in his voice. The mocking. "Did you measure it? Your capacity?"

And Itachi looked up at him with swollen eyes, his Mangekyou dimming and dripping with blood.

*****

"Obito's not a bad guy, dattebayo," Naruto says.

Itachi frowns. Naruto always believed the best of everybody.

"He was fooling you." Itachi turns, looking out into the horizon. "His plan wasn't working. What may have seemed like regret was merely him putting himself in the best possible position should the war end."

"But he was really sad, dattebayo! He jumped in front of me and saved me--"

"No doubt hoping the rod would go through him with his Kamui," Itachi says. Naruto scratches his head. "He miscalculated," Itachi says. He turns away again. "That he can spin it in his favor is just at testament to his ability."

"Whatever you say, Itachi."

Itachi's eyes narrow.

*****

Itachi watched. Watched as "Tobi" clapped his hands and spun into a pirouette, laughing loudly and proclaiming that slaughtering fifty nin was a lot of fun. He watched as "Madara" reprimanded Pein for delaying their plans, acting as the leader of the Akatsuki while pretending to be the Mizukage. He watched as a nameless man orchestrated things from behind the shadows, beguiling leaders with veiled threats and subtle genjutsu and manipulation. He watched again as that man took on the mantle of Hokage, making arms deals with criminal civilians, speaking to them with the same veiled guile he used when he manipulated Sasuke, when he threatened the kage and terrorized the other missing nin.

In the village, life is peaceful. There are merchants selling their wares, families and children, shinobi and civilians meandering about the square.

It is a momentary peace. Itachi knows well enough that Uchiha Obito wouldn't endanger them unless it could further his ends. But that doesn't mean they're safe. He could turn on the village at any moment.

In the distance, Itachi walks quickly down the dirt road, his feet pounding silently onto the packed soil. Breaking into a jog, he leaps and turns into a flock of birds, flying up into the sky and scattering his consciousness around him.


	86. Uchiha Itachi, part 3 (angst, hurt/comfort)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Angst, hurt/comfort

In the shadowed moonlight, a dark figure stands at the edge of the training grounds.

"Madara," the figure says, and then he steps closer, a shaft of moonlight falling over him. "Or should I say, Hokage-sama." 

Obito looks up. Itachi's Mangekyou burn like two red coals. 

"Itachi," Obito says, and Itachi nods gravely. Obito looks him over. "You haven't resurrected yourself," Obito says. "Your body is made of Hashirama's cells. Even without the Rinnegan you should still be able to weave the seals."

"This body of mine serves my purposes," Itachi says. He steps around Obito, warily. 

"I assume you want to talk," Obito says. 

"That," Itachi says, and his eyes flick upward. "Among other things."

Obito's mouth tightens. Itachi rests a single arm through the slit in his cloak, his hand resting on the hilt of his katana, just as he'd done when he was in the Akatsuki. 

"You sound different," Itachi says. "It is not what I remembered."

"No," Obito says. "I was imitating Uchiha Madara's voice, as I'm sure you've already figured."

"Indeed," Itachi says. He studies Obito silently.

Obito glares at him. "What is it that you want?"

"I want to know your intentions."

Obito spreads his hands. "Peace and prosperity as the leader of Konoha," Obito says. His tone is mocking. Itachi looks at him silently.

"Somehow I have my doubts," Itachi says. They circle each other warily. 

"I remember the night you helped me kill our clan," Itachi says. "As soon as you finished slaughtering them, you started gouging out their eyes. You went around and harvested them."

"I did. Because if you remember, I worked alone. I needed them," Obito says. 

"For what purpose? For Izanagi?" Itachi frowns. "My Amaterasu should have incinerated you, but the genjutsu brought you back to life. Each time you should have died, you used up a Sharingan eye. I know it was you," Itachi says. "I know you were the one who poisoned Danzou, who convinced him the best course of action was to slaughter our clan."

"There are only murderers standing here, Itachi, and I'm a busy man. Get to the point."

"I just want you to know that I am watching," Itachi says. "If you stray from the path, I have no qualms with killing you."

Obito raises his eyebrows. "An undead shinobi deigns to threaten the village Hokage?" He smirks. "Wonders never cease."

"I will be watching." Itachi's body shimmers, then breaks down into a flock of birds.

_"You may have the others fooled, but I alone know the real you."_

*****

He slams the door to his apartment, shoving everything off the table. Obito grits his teeth and starts crying. He's always been this way. Always crying when he's angry. Crying when he's scared. Crying for no reason. Like a dumb fucking kid.

There are footsteps running toward him. "Obito?!"

Tears streak down his face as he flings the table sideways and slams his fist against the wall.

"Obito!"

Obito turns. Rin is cowering in the back, clutching a medical textbook and looking up at him with frightened eyes.

"Rin." Tears slip down his face. He reaches a shaky hand to wipe his eyes. "Forgive me, I didn't mean to frighten you. I'm sorry."

"What happened?"

"Uchiha Itachi."

"What?"

Obito closes his eyes. "Let me show you." His eyes open to reveal his Sharingan.

Rin nods. He tips her head back pours into her his memories of their confrontation. The genjutsu ends and Rin's eyes widen.

"It's true what he said." Obito looks up at her with terrible eyes. "I was alone. I needed those eyes. It was the only way I could keep going.

"I cast a genjutsu on Danzou amplifying his paranoia. I sowed doubt and discord amongst the people of my clan. I acted as an agent of chaos with the mistaken belief that I could resurrect them. But I also revelled in it, because I hated them." A shadow falls over his eyes. His hands curl into fists. "He was right about me. And I understand if you want to leave me."

Rin watches him. Slowly she sidles up to him, presses her body against his.

"I already knew this about you," she says, softly. "I was watching you, remember?"

Obito takes a shuddery breath. "Rin..."

She pulls him close and kisses him, wrapping her arms around him.

That night, he clutches her tight when they make love, squeezing his eyes and burying his face into her shoulder. With each thrust he drives down further into her, wants to pry open her bones and crawl inside her.

"Rin," he gasps, and her name is like a prayer, a desperate plea. "Rin, _Rin_..."

He gasps and comes hard, and she hugs him, holding him close as he starts to cry.

*****

Rin is asleep. Obito sits at the edge of the bed, watching her body curled up beneath the blanket. A soft moonlight drifts in through the gauzy curtains, dusting the outline of her body in the blue-hued darkness. She's breathing deeply, her chest rising and falling. Tentatively, he rests a hand on the skin of her shoulder, feels her sigh and shift, before moving his hand again.

Sometimes, he thinks he loves her so much his heart could burst. Sometimes he looks at her and wants to break down weeping. More than anything he wants to curl up against the hollows of her body, wants to escape the weight of his grief and rage and hateful self-loathing. He doesn't deserve her. He doesn't deserve any of this. 

For a brief, agonizing moment, he wonders if he should genjutsu her. Make it so that she doesn't love him. It would be better for her, he thinks, and his irises start to turn. She could make a clean break of it. She could find someone better than him.

But if the genjutsu were ever to break, she would hate him for it, and he can't stand the thought of hurting her. 

****

Morning. There is a thin yellow light that filters through the curtains of the bedroom, and Rin stretches and opens her eyes, reaching an arm out toward Obito's side of the bed. It's empty. Silently she gets up and pads barefoot to the living room, where she finds him sitting.

His eyes are puffy and red. He's holding the application for their marriage certificate in his hand.

"Obito?" she frowns at him. "What are you doing?"

"I thought about tearing this up, but I can't."

Rin goes to him and hugs him. "I love you," she says, and she kisses him. He lets out a shuddery sigh and she presses his head against her chest, stroking his hair.

"Do you still want to have a child with me?" he asks. Rin smiles.

"More than anything," she says, and his head snaps upward, his eyes searching hers. She tenderly kisses him again, then presses her forehead against his brow.


	87. Comfort, part 3

The book Kakashi is reading doesn't look like his standard Ero Book fare. 

"What are you reading?" Obito says. Kakashi wrinkles his nose.

"It's from a series called _the Lord of Illusions_ , Madara recommended it," Kakashi says. He closes the book, showing him. "It's high fantasy with pretty good worldbuilding, but the ero parts are so overwrought. In half the love scenes the hero is crying. Who cries during sex? It's completely ridiculous. Even Hashi-san calls it 'the book where the girl comforts the guy with her vagina.'

"Er, Obito?" Kakashi says, as he notices Obito changing several shades of red. "What is it?"

"Nothing. I'm sorry I asked." And he quickly walks away from the training field, stepping into the swirl of his Kamui.

Kakashi blinks. He makes a mental note to himself that Obito gets embarrassed by the word, "vagina."


	88. Ceremony (end)

Somehow, Madara gets wind of the whole Itachi debacle, cornering him at the training grounds and threatening to eyeball him into tiny little pieces should he keep harassing his stupid apprentice. Kakashi has to talk him down, helpfully reminding him that should he vaporize Itachi's body, it would simply reconstitute itself since Itachi was still Undead.

Against all odds, they come to a trade agreement. Obito and the civilian minister stand outside and shake hands, signing the treaty, and civilian news photographers crowd around them, capturing the moment.

"Hokage-sama! Will you wear the hat for the photograph?"

Obito looks up. The civilian press is waving at him, gesturing toward the hat. He throws a glance at Kakashi, who's holding the hat like a bomb. The minister smiles.

"Yes, we've all heard about the famous Hokage hat! We would love to see it." The delegates from the civilian side chuckle - they think their ninja uniforms are cute, old-timey and anachronistic, like something from a cosplay convention.

Kakashi starts, "Actually, minister--"

"No," Obito says, and he smiles. "It's okay. Hand me the hat."

Kakashi blinks. "O-okay..."

Obito sets it on his head. Outside, the wind rises. For a moment, he keeps his hand on the crest of the hat, his eyes hidden and the white flaps of the cap moving like banners. His mouth stretches into an enigmatic smile.

"That's a great picture!" the photographer says, and he lifts up the camera.

_Flash._

end.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sequel where Obito and Rin have a baby can be read [here :)](https://archiveofourown.org/works/26078560/chapters/63429562)


	89. bonus fanart dump :)

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	90. bonus ch 688 redraw

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 688 redraw with grown-up Obito and Rin :) Read right to left.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> With how much Kishimoto was drawing Obito running around shirtless, I was super sad that his reunion with Rin was the kid version XDD
> 
> Here's a side-by-side comparison:
> 
>   
>    
> 

**Author's Note:**

> Sequel where Obito and Rin have a baby can be read [here :)](https://archiveofourown.org/works/26078560/chapters/63429562)


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